FIFA to Choose Blatter Successor in February

(ATR) A new FIFA president will be elected on Feb. 26, 2016.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter set the date for an extraordinary FIFA Congress at a FIFA Executive Committee meeting on July 20 in Zurich.

In addition to setting the date for the upcoming congress, the FIFA Executive Committee took actions to begin a robust reform platform that will go into effect before the February congress.

Blatter said in a press conference the reform package would include integrity checks for Executive Committee members, the introduction of term limits, and adoptions of higher standards of governance at all levels of football.Blatter stressed that, "[FIFA] has to make sure the decisions that were taken go down in the pyramid to the confederations to all the national associations."

Blatter said that term limits for the FIFA president have been proposed multiple times in the past but have "never been presented properly to the Congress."

"In 2014, this item was presented with the age limit and it was rejected by a large majority of the congress," Blatter said.

"Now, I have come back with this, and I think it is not only a good idea. It is one thing that is very important, not only of the president in the FIFA, but in the confederations, and then down [the pyramid].

"I had with my conscience to do something for FIFA, not for me. This is my prerogative, and this is my duty and mission now to defend the institution of FIFA. The Executive Committee said, 'Yes president, we will take also the responsibility to also to defend FIFA.'"

To help ensure the reform package is carried out, an 11 member task force will be created to monitor the progress. The task force will contain two members from the Asian, African, European, and North American confederations, and one member from the Oceania and South American confederations. The final member will come from an independent body appointed by FIFA.

The task force will begin its work immediately, with a first report to be presented on Sept. 24-25 at the next FIFA Executive Committee meeting.

"On the 26th of February, FIFA will have a new president," Blatter said in absolute terms, laying out whether he would throw his hat in the ring for the upcoming presidential election.

"I have already been asked, and I will not be a candidate for the election in 2016."

Presidential candidates have until Oct. 26 to secure declarations of support from five national associations, in order to be eligible to stand for the election.

Blatter said that after a new FIFA president is elected that he would like to enter into a career into radio journalism.

"My hobbies are geography and politics. There are so many radios around the world. Someone will be happy to hear my voice."

Written by Aaron Bauer

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.