Blatter Re-Elected as FIFA President

(ATR) Sepp Blatter brushed aside the biggest corruption storm to engulf FIFA to secure a fifth term at the helm of world football.

Challenger Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein conceded to the Swiss after one round of voting at the FIFA Congress in Zurich on Friday. Blatter surprisingly failed to capture a two-thirds majority of the vote after one round, leading Prince Ali 133 votes to 73.

Despite acknowledging that U.S. Department of Justice had "unleashed a storm" with its 47-count indictment charging14 football and marketing officials with corruption over two decades, Blatter was given the mandate by the congress to serve another four years as head of FIFA.

He will be 83 years old in 2019.

Both Blatter and Prince Ali, who leaves the FIFA ExCo today after four years serving at football's top table, made last-ditch appeals to the federations in attendance.

The FIFA election had been in doubt on Wednesday when seven FIFA officials were arrested and indicted following a US-led raid with Swiss police on the Baur au Lac hotel. They were charged with counts ofracketeering, money laundering and bribery and face extradition to the USA.

Written by Mark Bisson

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