Football
Richard Jolly, ESPN.com writer 10y

Sepp Blatter confirms he will run for FIFA presidency

MANCHESTER -- Sepp Blatter has confirmed he will stand for re-election as FIFA president as he hopes to serve a fifth term.

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The 78-year-old, who was first elected in 1998, is serving his fourth term and was elected unopposed in 2011 after his rival Mohamed bin Hammam withdrew.

While Blatter said then that this would be his last term as president, he has reconsidered and said in a video interview broadcast at the Soccerex Convention in Manchester: "I will be ready. I will be a candidate to stand for fifth term as president. My mission is not finished."

"I will make an official declaration definitely in September now when we have the Executive Committee [meeting on Sept. 25-26]. 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.'

"I got [from] 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.'"

Michel Platini has already said he will not challenge Blatter and will instead run for re-election as UEFA president.

Blatter added: "I was not surprised 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 contesting you."

Former FIFA executive Jerome Champagne confirmed his intention to stand for the presidency earlier this year.

The Frenchman, 56, had told AP: "I will continue defending my ideas. I'm not stopping, because we need a debate. In a democratic system we need more than one candidate and I hope more than two candidates, because we need different points of views and we need two different options given to the voters."

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