21 Feb BLATTER TO BE CHALLENGED

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Thursday he would have to face an Asian challenge when he stands for re-election next year.

“There will be candidates for the presidency for the FIFA presidency in 2011, from Asia,” he told reporters without giving further details.

Blatter, 73, was elected FIFA president in 1998 and has since been re-elected twice.

In Thursday’s edition of the English daily newspaper The Guardian, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) head Mohamed Hammam said he would propose the FIFA president should in future have a maximum period in office of eight years.

Qatari Hammam said he had support for the idea from other members on FIFA’s executive committee ahead of their March meeting.

“I genuinely believe eight years is enough for every president to focus on football,” Hammam said.

“I am going to insist that no future FIFA president serves for more than eight years. I hope this proposal will be endorsed and accepted.”

There are no rules on the length of presidency. Blatter’s predecessor Joao Havelange was at the helm for 24 years.

Hammam did not say whether he would be interested in standing for the most powerful position in football.

“It is still too early to decide,” he said. “There is more than one potential candidate (from Asian football) who can fill the FIFA president’s role. But when it is decided we have to stand behind them- Reuters