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ZURICH - FIFA president Sepp Blatter is preparing a manifesto for his next four years in office despite facing no apparent opposition for soccer's top job.
Although not due for re-election until FIFA's annual congress in May, the 71-year-old Swiss has effectively just over a week to go until his next presidential term is confirmed.
Any candidate wishing to stand against Blatter must put his name forward before April 1 -- and so far nobody has.
"There is still a chance it could happen, but I don't feel it will," Blatter told Reuters in an interview at FIFA's headquarters on Friday.
"There is a French expression that says if you win without opposition then it is a triumph without glory, but for me it is also a kind of glory when you know the history of my presidency."
Blatter beat off former UEFA president Lennart Johansson when he first gained the presidency in 1998 and then came through a bitter fight in 2002 when he faced accusations of financial mismanagement following the collapse of FIFA's marketing partners ISL.
"They didn't want me in 1998, then they tried to kill me in 2002 and now they bring me the presidency on a platter, so that is also a kind of recognition and satisfaction."
Blatter will present his manifesto in April -- whether opposed or not -- but told Reuters that his core message would focus on football's social responsibility.
"We have worked to develop the game and bring it to the world, but now we have to do something in this world with the game for a better future."
In particular, Blatter said he wanted to tackle the financial imbalances caused by "over-investment" in the world's wealthiest clubs, deal with violence on and around the pitch and eradicate the persistent problem of racism.
"My definition of success will be if in four years time (people) say discipline has come back, players are behaving well, the stadiums in big countries are comfortable and secure, violence and racism have disappeared and there is only a little bit of corruption -- because we know there will always be temptation."
The only thing that seems to ruffle Blatter's feathers are the allegations of corruption within FIFA -- allegations that have dogged the organisation ever since ISL's financial plight was first made public.
At a media conference earlier on Friday the FIFA president again insisted that he was not involved in any of the bribes which ISL officials are alleged to have sent the way of top sports officials.
"I have never, ever taken anything from anybody apart from (earnings from) people I have worked for," Blatter said.
Blatter said he was glad that a Swiss regional court was now preparing to try former managers of the marketing company for alleged embezzlement and fraud.
"I am happy that they are going to open up what has to be opened," Blatter said. "The prosecutors have already declared that no former or present FIFA employees are among those accused.
"When the whole thing is over, you will see that the people accusing us have nothing to report at all."
Having apparently silenced his former opponents ahead of his anticipated re-election, Blatter says he is now prepared to run and run -- denying some media reports that had suggested his next term of office would be his last.
"Stop? Why should I?" Blatter concluded with a grin. "Now I start my third term, and after that who knows?"
- REUTERS
