Blatter Wins FIFA Presidency amid Corruption Scandal
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Sepp Blatter won a fifth consecutive term as president of FIFA on Friday, despite the arrest of seven top officials on corruption charges this week and twin criminal probes into the world football governing body.
Blatter, who has spent 17 years as global football’s top boss, won after Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan’s conceded defeat ahead of a planned second round ballot.
The 79-year-old Blatter, the easy favorite going into the election, claimed 133 votes in the first round to Prince Ali’s 73.
"I like you, I like my job," Blatter told cheering FIFA federations members gathered in Zurich. "I am not perfect, nobody is perfect, but we will do a good job together I am sure."
The election was held while US and Swiss prosecutors kicked off investigations into bribery, money-laundering and wire fraud allegedly committed by top FIFA leaders and sports marketing executives, AFP reported.
Two FIFA vice presidents and a recently elected FIFA executive committee member were still in custody Friday as the votes were counted.
Prince Ali had pushed the election to a second round by denying the incumbent the two-thirds majority he needed for an outright win.
The two men were the only candidates in the election.
Speaking to delegates at FIFA’s annual conference, Prince Ali thanked his supporters before withdrawing his candidacy.
“I just wanted to thank all of you. It’s been a wonderful journey. I want to especially thank all of you who were brave enough to vote for me,” Prince Ali said.
He was embraced by a number of officials as he left the stage, including European football body UEFA President Michel Platini.
Blatter, 79, continues on as chief of the powerful international sports organization, though tainted by a corruption scandal that threatens to divide it.
Platini and others called on Blatter to resign this week. The UEFA president had also said earlier that his federation could pull out of FIFA and withdraw from the World Cup if Blatter was re-elected.
FIFA's big-money sponsors have also called for change within FIFA. Visa warned Thursday that it could pull out of its contract, which is worth at least $25 million a year through 2022.
