In 1998 and 2002, Sepp Blatter faced stiff opposition for the FIFA presidency. As evidence of his tightening control over soccer’s international governing body, Blatter will be running unopposed for the presidential election to be held May 31 at the FIFA Congress in Zurich. No other candidate entered the race by the March 31 deadline.
Blatter, who will still announce his election manifesto at the FIFA Congress in Zurich’s Hallenstadion, said last month: “There’s a French expression that says if you win without opposition it’s a triumph without glory, but for me it’s also a kind of glory when you know the history of my presidency.”
Blatter beat off former UEFA president Lennart Johansson to win his first presidency in 1998 and came through a bitter fight in 2002 when he faced accusations of financial mismanagement following the collapse of FIFA’s long-time marketing partner, ISL, and defeated Issa Hayatou, the Cameroonian president of the African soccer confederation.