FIFA President Sepp Blatter will not stand for re-election later this year, a spokesperson for football’s world governing body told CNN on Friday.
There has been speculation the 79-year-old may try to hang on to the most powerful role in world football after Friday’s edition of Swiss newspaper Blick quoted Blatter as saying “I have not resigned.”
On June 2, just four days after his re-election, Blatter announced he would “lay down” his mandate as a corruption scandal engulfed FIFA.
Asked by CNN whether the Swiss administrator would be a candidate when new presidential elections are held, the FIFA spokesperson replied: “No — he will not be.”
Blatter, who has been in power since 1998, caused confusion when speaking at an event for the workers who will build a FIFA museum in Zurich. He said he was not ready to be part of any antiquarian collection himself.
“I have not resigned. I have put my mandate in the hands of an Extraordinary Congress,” Blatter was quoted as saying by Blick.
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not ready for the museum nor for waxworks!”
The address was greeted with cheering and applause according to Blick, whose quotes were described as accurate by FIFA.
However, the FIFA spokesperson said Blatter was simply trying to point out that he had not stopped working as president following his resignation announcement — and would not do so until he is replaced at the Extraordinary Congress, which is expected to be held in December but could be as late as March 2016.
The Executive Committee will meet on July 20 to determine the exact date for the congress.
Blatter has history when it comes to making U-turns.
In March 2011, he told a UEFA Congress ahead of that year’s FIFA presidential elections that if he was re-elected, “these will be the last years for which I stand as a candidate.”
This did not happen however, as Blatter stood again this year — and won his fifth term in office.
His resignation days later came amid the biggest scandal in FIFA’s 111-year history.
Last month, the United States indicted 14 people, including nine top FIFA officials, on corruption charges.
A Swiss probe is also investigating potential irregularities in the bidding process to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, which Russia and Qatar will respectively host.
Earlier this month, Domenico Scala — the official overseeing the new FIFA presidential elections — said Blatter’s departure was an “indispensable” part of planned reforms for the embattled organization.
