Blatter not going anywhere as he confirms re-election campaign

Sepp Blatter has confirmed he will stand for a fifth term as FIFA president next year.

Blatter has been widely expected to stand again despite saying in 2011 this would be his last term and now he has confirmed he will do so. It follows UEFA president Michel Platini announcing last month that he would not stand for the FIFA post.

Blatter said he would officially inform the FIFA executive committee of his plans at the next meeting on September 25 and 26.

The 78-year-old said in a video interview played at the Soccerex conference in Manchester: “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.”

Blatter said the backing of the majority of the national associations at the FIFA Congress in Sao Paulo in June had convinced him to keep going.

He added: “You see a mission is never finished. And my mission is not finished.

“Then I got through 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’.”

The election will take place at the FIFA Congress next May.