Bin Hammam To Challenge Blatter

Tuesday, 22nd March 2011 at 16:38pm

Mohammad Bin Hammam, the Asian Football Chief, has announced that he will stand against current incumbent Sepp Blatter in the Fifa presidential election in June.

Bin Hammam announced his decision to stand against Swiss national Blatter in a 17-minute speech in which the Qatari declared his vision for football's governing body which would include an increase in Fifa's decision making power and a more even spread of wealth.

"Change is necessary and needed," said Bin Hammam, whose bid to oust Blatter will be built on the promise of making Fifa more transparent and the implementation of technology within the sport.

"After careful study, consultation and consideration, armed with my love and passion for football, believing that our game is about fair competition, I have decided to stand in the Fifa presidential elections on 1 June at the Fifa congress," he said. "The AFC executive committee have encouraged me."

Blatter is seeking re-election for a fourth term which would take him through until 2015 and was previously thought to be unopposed in his bid to remain the head of the world's most popular sport.

Many outside the governing body have felt that Blatter has been in control for two long and this was also echoes by Bin Hammam in his address.

"Blatter is an experienced person, he has made significant contribution to football worldwide but I believe there is a time limit for everything," he said.

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