 "Sepp Blatter elected to fifth term as FIFA president")
Sepp Blatter won a fifth term as president of FIFA, world soccer's ruling body, two days after US criminal charges targeted his inner circle.
The 79-year-old's opponent, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, withdrew before a second-round vote. In the first round, Blatter outpointed Ali 133 to 73. He now gets four more years to head the not-for-profit group, which collected almost $5 billion from running last year's World Cup in Brazil.
The arrests at a posh Zurich hotel were the biggest controversy to touch 111-year-old FIFA under Blatter during what has been a scandal-tainted tenure. Swiss authorities are carrying out their own investigation into alleged corruption, racketeering and other misdeeds in the awarding of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar. Blatter, who wasn't charged, got backing from Asian and African leaders to keep the job.
Nine FIFA officials were among 14 charged by US prosecutors,who vowed more arrests in a widening probe of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering.
Secret Report
A FIFA executive committee member since 2011, Ali, the only candidate to oppose Blatter in balloting since 2002, had pledged to impose a limit of two terms for the president, to serve only one himself, and to make public a report by investigator Michael Garcia into voting on the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. While FIFA lodged a complaint with Switzerland's attorney general based on the report's findings last year, the document wasn't released.
The son of a chemical-plant worker, Joseph "Sepp" Blatter was born in Visp, a Swiss town of about 7,000 in a valley below the Matterhorn. He joined FIFA 40 years ago and rose to become a top aide to Joao Havelange of Brazil, who ran the organization for 24 years.
Blatter didn't do much public campaigning for the job, preferring to speak to regional conferences, which excluded his rivals. Two opposition candidates -- Dutch soccer head Michael van Praag and former Real Madrid and Barcelona star Luis Figo -- dropped out to support Prince Ali.
"This electoral process is anything but an election," Figo said on his Facebook page. He called it a "plebiscite for the delivery of absolute power to one man -- something I refuse to go along with."
One Vote
In FIFA voting, each member country has one vote, regardless of size. More than $1 billion of the group's almost $5 billion in revenue from last year's World Cup was shared with members via so-called "solidarity" programs. That largesse has bought Blatter the backing of many smaller nations that rarely make a mark on the soccer field.
Blatter's predecessor, Havelange, was unopposed for a record 24 years before stepping down in 1998. Blatter beat Lennart Johansson of Sweden to first take control of FIFA that year. In 2002, he beat Cameroon's Issa Hayatou and in 2007 faced no challengers. In his last re-election, Mohammed bin Hammam, the former head of Asian soccer, dropped out before the 2011 vote after being accused of bribing voters.
Blatter had promised that his current term would be his last, but changed his mind last year and put himself up for re-election, saying he still had reforms to do.
"There will be many who are frustrated with the pace of change," Blatter said in a statement Wednesday. "We will work vigorously within FIFA in order to root out any misconduct, to regain your trust and ensure that football worldwide is free from wrongdoing."
The 79-year-old's opponent, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, withdrew before a second-round vote. In the first round, Blatter outpointed Ali 133 to 73. He now gets four more years to head the not-for-profit group, which collected almost $5 billion from running last year's World Cup in Brazil.
The arrests at a posh Zurich hotel were the biggest controversy to touch 111-year-old FIFA under Blatter during what has been a scandal-tainted tenure. Swiss authorities are carrying out their own investigation into alleged corruption, racketeering and other misdeeds in the awarding of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar. Blatter, who wasn't charged, got backing from Asian and African leaders to keep the job.
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Michel Platini, the president of European soccer authority UEFA, was among regional officials seeking fresh leadership of FIFA by backing 39-year-old Prince Ali. The Frenchman Thursday asked Blatter to resign but he refused, Platini said. UK Prime Minister David Cameron also called for Blatter to step down, and sponsors including Coca Cola Co said FIFA should resolve the scandal.
Nine FIFA officials were among 14 charged by US prosecutors,who vowed more arrests in a widening probe of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering.
Secret Report
A FIFA executive committee member since 2011, Ali, the only candidate to oppose Blatter in balloting since 2002, had pledged to impose a limit of two terms for the president, to serve only one himself, and to make public a report by investigator Michael Garcia into voting on the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. While FIFA lodged a complaint with Switzerland's attorney general based on the report's findings last year, the document wasn't released.
The son of a chemical-plant worker, Joseph "Sepp" Blatter was born in Visp, a Swiss town of about 7,000 in a valley below the Matterhorn. He joined FIFA 40 years ago and rose to become a top aide to Joao Havelange of Brazil, who ran the organization for 24 years.
Blatter didn't do much public campaigning for the job, preferring to speak to regional conferences, which excluded his rivals. Two opposition candidates -- Dutch soccer head Michael van Praag and former Real Madrid and Barcelona star Luis Figo -- dropped out to support Prince Ali.
"This electoral process is anything but an election," Figo said on his Facebook page. He called it a "plebiscite for the delivery of absolute power to one man -- something I refuse to go along with."
One Vote
In FIFA voting, each member country has one vote, regardless of size. More than $1 billion of the group's almost $5 billion in revenue from last year's World Cup was shared with members via so-called "solidarity" programs. That largesse has bought Blatter the backing of many smaller nations that rarely make a mark on the soccer field.
Blatter's predecessor, Havelange, was unopposed for a record 24 years before stepping down in 1998. Blatter beat Lennart Johansson of Sweden to first take control of FIFA that year. In 2002, he beat Cameroon's Issa Hayatou and in 2007 faced no challengers. In his last re-election, Mohammed bin Hammam, the former head of Asian soccer, dropped out before the 2011 vote after being accused of bribing voters.
Blatter had promised that his current term would be his last, but changed his mind last year and put himself up for re-election, saying he still had reforms to do.
"There will be many who are frustrated with the pace of change," Blatter said in a statement Wednesday. "We will work vigorously within FIFA in order to root out any misconduct, to regain your trust and ensure that football worldwide is free from wrongdoing."