Blatter has made public his decision to run again, arguing that his “mission” is not yet finished
Agencies
London, September 8
Sepp Blatter has confirmed that he will run for a fifth term as Fifa president in next year's elections.
The current incumbent has been head of Fifa since 1998 and is expected to gain re-election following Michel Platini's decision not to stand.
"I would make an official declaration definitely in September now when we have the executive committee," Blatter told the Soccerex convention by way of video interview. "I will inform the executive committee. It’s a question of respect also to say then to the football family, ‘Yes I will be ready. I will be a candidate.’"
The Fifa executive committee meets in Zurich on September 25-26 when Blatter will officially confirm his candidacy.
The 78-year-old Swiss previously insisted that the term from 2011 to 2015 would be his last but he remains committed to his 'mission' to lead.
"You see a mission is never finished," he said. "And my mission is not finished. And I have told the FIFA Congress, I have told the congresses of the confederations. Then I got through the last congress in Sao Paulo not only the impression but the support of the majority, a huge majority of national associations asking ‘Please go on, be our president also in future.’"
It was expected that Platini, the current Uefa president, would run against Blatter in the election but last month he confirmed that he had dropped out of contention.
Blatter revealed that Platini had indicated in private that he would not run against him but now expects another challenger from Uefa to run.
"I was not surprised [by his decision not to run] because in private conversations I have had with Michel Platini before during and after the World Cup he has confirmed he would not be a candidate ... but there will be someone who will be your contender who will be contesting you.
"I have no other comment. But for me it was not a surprise because he told me. And I think he is a reliable man when he is not only speaking colleague to colleague but friend to friend even if we are not always at the same idea in football by saying he would not stand."
At the recent 64th Fifa congress in Sao Paulo the level of Uefa dissatisfaction with Fifa was revealed with it being the only one of six continental confederations not to back Blatter and the president believes that divisions at the highest administrative levels of the game are damaging.
"I think the football family, Fifa, the international organization called Fifa, is a big organization and it must be in solidarity," he said.
"We cannot say one of the confederations shall be against Fifa. Solidarity is what makes football so interesting and what makes football in our world connecting people, bringing people together and giving to the world - this perturbed world - emotions. And we need emotions, and emotions are positives.
"I am sure that at the end of the day with Uefa and the 5 other confederations there will be a get together for the benefit of football who ever at the end will be a candidate elected next year."
