Asian Football Confederation President Mohammad Bin Hammam Says Sepp Blatter Should Be Replaced As FIFA President

Saying that “change would be the best thing” for FIFA, Asian Football Confederation President Mohammad bin Hammam has called for Sepp Blatter to be challenged in June’s FIFA presidential election. Thought to be a potential candidate, bin Hammam told the Associated Press he feels competition for the position would be a positive thing, and Blatter’s long association with FIFA feeds the perception that the soccer world’s governing body is corrupt.

Bin Hammam had been thought a potentially challenger for Blatter’s post, speculation that cooled after the 2022 World Cup was awarded to his home country, Qatar. Amidst a myriad of theories regarding how Qatar won the bid was the rumor Blatter had consolidated Asian support for a summer reelection by delivering a World Cup to the Middle East. Now, two months after the 2022 event was controversially awarded to the emirate, bin Hammam has defied the conspiracy theorists and called for Blatter to be replaced.

“Everybody is going to accuse us today as corrupted people because maybe people see Mr. Blatter has stayed a long time in FIFA,” Bin Hammam said in a one-on-one interview with the AP. “Thirty-five years in one organization is quite long time. No matter how clean you are, honest or how correct you are, still people will attack you. You are going to be defenseless. That is why I believe change is the best thing for the organization.”

The AFC president declined to offer himself up for the position, saying he would “wait and see” before deciding whether to enter June’s election. Although bin Hammam said he would someday like to serve as FIFA’s president, for June, he is more concerned that Blatter has opposition than whether he is part of the race.

“I’m actually seeking to see competition within FIFA for the post. I would prefer to see two candidates proposing themselves, or maybe more than two proposing themselves to the congress of FIFA,” Bin Hammam said. “Competition is good for the organization, whether president or any other posts. Competition is the best way to make the organization vibrant and alive.”

Blatter will be seeking his fourth term as president of FIFA, and organization he has been with since 1975. Since 1998, he has headed the organization, with the 74-year-old approaching the end of his third, four year term.