Blatter challenger still uncertain

26 November 2014 12:16

FIFA president Sepp Blatter is expected to have a significant challenger from outside of Europe in next year's election - but FIFA vice-president Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein has yet to decide whether to stand.

Prince Ali's office responded to reports he is to stand against Blatter by telling the website Inside World Football the Jordanian "has not confirmed or denied" whether he will do so.

His brother, the International Olympic Committee member Prince Feisal Al Hussein, said on Wednesday he was not aware of any such plan.

Asked by Press Association Sport if he had heard of Prince Ali's intentions to stand against Blatter, Prince Feisal said: "I am not aware of anything at all. He has never mentioned that to me, it has never come up."

UEFA president Michel Platini is expected to get behind a challenger from outside of Europe after saying he would not support Blatter for a fifth term in office.

The only declared candidate so far is former FIFA deputy general secretary Jerome Champagne, from France, though he needs five countries to nominate him, and UEFA is not backing him.

Nominations have to be made before January 31 and it is likely that the controversy over the Garcia report into bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will still not be resolved before that deadline.

Source: PA