World football’s troubled governing body FIFA will vote for a new president, to replace Sepp Blatter, at a special congress to be held on February 26 in Zurich, the organisation said yesterday.
An “extraordinary elective congress” with all 209 member associations invited will decide on the successor to Blatter, who has been at the helm of FIFA since 1998.
The timing of the congress is later than many expected, with Europe’s governing body UEFA widely reported to have pushed for a December vote.
FIFA statutes stipulate candidates need to have the written support of five member associations to stand and must announce their intention to run four months ahead of a vote, meaning the deadline for nominations is October 26.
Blatter announced on June 2 that he was standing down, just four days after winning a fifth term with an election victory at a congress overshadowed by the arrest of seven football officials.
The 79-year-old had been re-elected after his only rival, Jordan’s Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, withdrew after gaining 73 votes to Blatter’s 133 in the first round of voting.
UEFA president Michel Platini has emerged as the early front-runner, with a source close to European football’s governing body saying the Frenchman enjoys support from four of the six regional confederations that make up FIFA.
Platini, a former France international who played for Italian club Juventus, has yet to state whether he intends to run, with the source saying he would decide within the next 10 days or so.
“The UEFA president is very happy with his current role as leader of European football’s governing body,” UEFA’s head of communications Pedro Pinto told reporters.
“He’s been very pleased and touched by the words of support he has received here in Zurich over the last couple of days.”
Pinto said Platini would consider his position in the near future and would announce his intentions when he was ready to.
Platini is pleased that many people see him as someone who could lead FIFA into a new period with a new image, an image of transparency and good governance
“Platini is pleased that many people see him as someone who could lead FIFA into a new period, with a new image, an image of transparency and good governance.”
The confederations were not available to comment on whether they would be able to persuade their members to vote for Platini, however.
Each of FIFA’s 209 member associations has one vote at the presidential elections. As voting is secret, confederations have no way in practice of enforcing a block vote.
At the FIFA presidential election in May, a number of UEFA’s own member associations voted for Blatter despite Platini having urged them to vote for challenger Prince Ali.
As well as UEFA, the continental confederations representing South America (Conmebol), North and Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF), and Asia (AFC) have all reportedly told Platini they would back his candidacy for FIFA president.
The other two confederations are Africa’s CAF and Oceania’s OFC.
Blatter’s election at the congress in May was overshadowed by the raids on a five-star hotel in Zurich which saw seven FIFA officials, including vice-president Jeffrey Webb, arrested.
Webb faces US charges of racketeering, conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering. He pleaded not guilty at a US court on Saturday and was released on bail.
The US Department of Justice has indicted 14 officials and marketing executives on various charges.
Blatter has repeatedly said that he will not stand again and while he has reneged on that promise before, saying his election in 2011 was his last before changing his mind, it would be a major surprise if he made another U-turn.