Sepp Blatter re-elected as President of FIFA

Sepp Blatter has been re-elected as President of FIFA. His election for a fifth successive term comes just two days after the arrest of nine FIFA officials on corruption charges. He won 133 votes to Prince Ali’s 73, with three of the 209 associations not voting. 138 votes were needed in the first round.

Relying on the votes of the football associations from Asia, African and South America, he defeated the only other candidate Jordanian Prince Ali who withdrew after the first round with defeat inevitable.

The 206 voters used paper and a ballot box after electronic voting, which would have been open was rejected apparently at the behest of the US Soccer Federation. The US Federation had already announced it was voting against Blatter.

“US Soccer will vote for Prince Ali bin Al Hussein for next president of Fifa,” said US Soccer’s president, Sunil Gulati. “This is a vote for good governance and promise for our game.”

However, in the first ballot you need 66% of the vote so this went to a second ballot where he would only need 50% – a number he would have safely reached unless 30 of his voters switch sides.

Ali’s withdrawal prevented the need for it.

The US Department of Justice is continuing its investigation into widespread fraud and racketeering charges while the Swiss authorities investigate allegations of bribery in the voting for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Blatter’s first two tasks will be to keep himself out of prison and to prevent UEFA following through on breakaway threats.

The BBC’s Dan Roan wrote:

“This is hugely encouraging to Sepp Blatter’s opponents. Not winning in the first round is a bloodied-nose for the Fifa president, even if he goes on to a fifth term.”

There were a couple of boos,according to Roan, as Sepp Blatter was introduced to the stage to deliver his victory speech. Blatter didn’t react, instead clasping his hands and raising them in triumph.

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