GENEVA (AP) – For once, a major FIFA election is untainted by claims of vote-buying.
There’s no need this time.
Sepp Blatter’s widely expected re-election on May 29 as president of soccer’s world governing body for a fifth term has seldom seemed a real contest. His hold on the top job is so secure that Blatter published no manifesto, declined to debate opponents and rarely engaged with media worldwide.
“I am not campaigning,” Blatter said in March at a FIFA news conference he was obliged to attend. “I am now 40 years in FIFA, and I am 17 years as president of FIFA. This is my manifesto.”
Three rival candidates entered the race in January: Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, Luis Figo of Portugal and Michael van Praag of the Netherlands. Van Praag, however, dropped out of the race on Thursday and switched his support to FIFA vice president Prince Ali.