Champagne confirms he will stand against Blatter
Published on: Wednesday, September 17, 2014
PARIS: Long-time Fifa incumbent Sepp Blatter will have at least one rival for next year's presidential election as former senior Fifa executive Jerome Champagne (pic) confirmed on Monday he would contest it.The 56-year-old Frenchman, who worked closely with Blatter between 2002 and 2005 when he was deputy secretary-general, said on Twitter he had sent a letter to Fifa headquarters in Switzerland that he would be a candidate confirming his initial declaration in London back in January.Champagne had said at the time of the original declaration that he did not think he could beat 77-year-old Blatter, who has been in charge since 1998, if he ran but he had a chance if Uefa chief Michel Platini was a candidate.
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Since then, though, Blatter has declared himself as a candidate despite stating beforehand he would not stand again and Platini pulled back from the brink even though he declared in Brazil prior to the World Cup finals in June that he could no longer support Blatter.Champagne, a former diplomat who worked on France's successful bid for the right to host the 1998 World Cup before joining Fifa as an international advisor, said he was delighted that a debate had begun about the future of Fifa and football and thought more candidates would throw their hat into the ring.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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