FIFA chief Blatter “invigorated” after Marrakech meeting

Wednesday, 24 December 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters: Sepp Blatter is “invigorated” after last week’s executive committee meeting in Marrakech and has every intention of standing in next year’s FIFA presidential election, a source close to the FIFA leadership said on Monday.

“He was invigorated by the whole event and he is finishing the year on a high note,” said the source, adding that he had not heard any suggestion that Blatter would change his mind about standing. “That is not our information at all,” he said. On Friday, FIFA’s executive committee bowed to public opinion and agreed to publish a redacted version of an ethics committee investigation into the bidding process for the 2018/2022 World Cups, awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively. Blatter then told the media: “If there are problems inside FIFA as we have faced, then it’s not the moment for the president, the man at the helm of FIFA, to say he will abandon his work.” On Monday, Blatter said in a statement published by FIFA that soccer’s world governing body had to restore credibility. “Public opinion is important because football is the greatest game in the world; connecting people, giving emotions, passion and hope in this world. “It’s very important for me personally at the helm of football to restore credibility and to breathe the New Year again with good attitude for the upcoming competitions.” Blatter, FIFA president since 1998, has until Jan. 29 to confirm that he will stand for a fifth mandate at the May election when he will be 79.