Blatter promises changes

Sepp Blatter has promised proposals which would restore credibility in FIFA after being re-elected as president of world football’s governing body.

The Swiss lawyer might have won his election contest with Cameroon’s Issa Hayatou by a massive 139-56 votes but there are calls for a probe into FIFA’s finances to continue.

However, Blatter has called for world football to give him time to resolve the situation.

He said: ‘‘Give me 100 days, the famous 100 days, and I will come back with concrete proposals, and I will start to present structural changes within FIFA.

‘‘I will come up with a paper demonstrating how I think we can go about restoring our credibility.

‘‘It depends also on the behaviour and the will and the fair play of those who in past times have not been so kind to me.’’

Blatter, who was first elected in 1998, will now serve at least another four years.

The scale of the win surprised everyone, though one South American delegate pointed to the fact the incumbent president was viewed as the better of two poor options.

He said: ‘‘Neither is perfect but with Sepp Blatter you at least have certain guarantees. Hayatou wanted to take away one of our five qualifying places so of course South America voted for Blatter en bloc.’’

After achieving the two thirds majority necessary to win in the first round of voting, Blatter told delegates: ‘‘I register your deep trust in FIFA and in me.

‘‘You cannot imagine what it means for me, having during the last few months been accused by a certain directed press saying what a bad man I am.’’

Blatter won despite concerted efforts by Hayatou’s backers to damage his position.

During the last three months, he has been accused of financial mismanagement, paying cash for votes and making unauthorised payments.

There has also been criticism of the team of advisers he has appointed around him, with claims the so-called ‘parallel organisation’ has undermined FIFA officials, notably general secretary Michel Zen-Ruffinen.

Some charges remain hanging over him - he is being investigated by Swiss prosecutors for a start - but Blatter promised to bury his differences with FIFA’s executive committee, from where much of the criticism of his activities has come.

He said: ‘‘Let us now work together and forget what has happened in the past months. FIFA should be united and we have to restore our unity and by doing that to restore our credibility.

‘‘I believe in the family of football and I have to restore peace and I will do it.’’

Hayatou pronounced himself pleased with the result, though in reality it could hardly have been more disappointing.

He said: ‘‘The president can count on me as he has in the past, so he can work as a president should.

‘‘I am really satisfied, I am very pleased with the outcome of this election; 56 votes in my opinion is not the result of a loser.’’