“I have to say I have not finished my mission because it’s a mission to be in football. We have started in 2011 with the reform process. The reform process is not over. I would like to have these four years to finish it and to show that football is more than a game.”
But FIFA has been mired in controversy since its decision to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar.
Criticism reached a fever pitch when the man hired to investigate the bidding process for those World Cups, U.S. lawyer Michael Garcia, resigned in protest last year, unhappy that the published summary did not accurately reflect his findings.
Blatter has faced calls to stand down and although UEFA is yet to declare its official position, he clearly believes they are campaigning behind the scenes to depose him.
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“Because radio is even more popular than television, than all electronics … I said one day – this was my boy’s wish – to be a radio reporter one day. I don’t know but I’m not so bad.”
The first indication of whether Blatter will be seeking out new horizons may well come on February 7th or 8th, the date he revealed to CNN when FIFA will make public the full list of qualified candidates for the election.
“Anyway, I’m in and I don’t mind. It’s not my first battle for the presidency. I still have the conviction and I believe in myself and I believe in football, ” the Swiss said.
