Blatter To Seek Fifa Re-election

Sepp Blatter has revealed he intends to stand for a fourth term as president of world governing body FIFA at the governing body’s next elections in 2011.

The 73-year-old Swiss stated: ‘I have not finished my mission in football. I need more time.

‘I hope that in 2011 the FIFA Congress once more has faith in me, otherwise I’ll go back to my village.’

Blatter was first named as president in 1998, was re-elected in 2002 and was then unopposed when he stood for a third term in 2007.

He did not formally declare his candidacy to FIFA’s ruling executive committee when it met in Brazil three weeks ago, choosing instead to reveal his plans through the media.

Marios Lefkaritis, FIFA executive committee member said: ‘There was no announcement in Brazil, but that is not a surprise.

‘The election congress is only 18 months from now. A candidate should announce or make his intentions known.’

The FIFA president went on to repeat his calls for clubs to curb their spending, but said the world governing body would not try to bring in a salary cap.

Instead FIFA want clubs to select teams with a quota of local players, despite that being against European Union rules.

‘I’m happy that Silvio Berlusconi (AC Milan), Roman Abramovich (Chelsea) and Massimo Moratti (Inter Milan) and all the others have finally stopped wasting their money, but there won’t be a salary cap,’ Blatter said.

‘We can’t intervene in a free-market system, which works with supply and demand.

‘The solution is something else: six domestic players alongside five non-nationals per team. It would develop players, teams would spend less and it would help national teams.’