Hammam hints at FIFA presidency bid
Reuters - Tuesday 18 January 2011, 18:23
DOHA - Asian football chief Mohammed Bin
Hammam hinted again on Tuesday that he could challenge Sepp
Blatter for the FIFA presidency later this year.
Qatari Bin Hammam, who has just begun a third and final
four-year term as AFC president, continues to duck straight
questions on whether he will run against Blatter in June,
instead dropping hints of a possible election bid.
"The thought does interest me, yes," Bin Hammam told the
Kyodo news agency when asked how he felt about running for FIFA
president.
"The ambition is a legitimate one, and if people think they
can add to the organization, then why not?
"I am 62 years old. I have almost worked in football
administration for 40 years. And one thing I learned about sport
is that competition is very healthy for the organisations - no
matter what the result of the competition is, and elections are
a form of competition."
Earlier this month, Bin Hammam smiled broadly and shrugged
his shoulders when asked by Reuters if he would stand against
Blatter, whom he has disagreed with on a number of issues.
Blatter is seeking a fourth term as the head of football's
world governing body and was in Doha earlier this month to see
one of his old adversaries Chung Mong-joon of South Korea lose
his FIFA executive committee seat to the Swiss' ally Prince Ali
of Jordan.
Blatter, who is so far the only candidate for the position,
was also given a boost to his chances when another ally David
Chung was appointed Oceania Football Confederation president at
the weekend.