Blatter makes his move

Sepp Blatter used the forum of the Uefa Congress here in La Grand Palais in Paris to make the first big move of his Fifa presidential contest with Mohamed Bin Hammam.

Speaking to the 53 member countries of Uefa - and in particular to its French president Michel Platini - Blatter said for the first time that if re-elected as the head of the world governing body in June, the next four years would also be his last.

At the age of 75 that may be unsurprising but Bin Hammam claims Blatter originally said he would only stand for two terms back in 1998 and now, after 13 years in the job, he is bidding for his fourth.

Bin Hammam also said on Monday that after such a long time, "enough is enough". At 61 the Qatari businessman has indicated he wants to be president until 2019 and, if elected, will make Fifa more transparent, less bureaucratic and introduce goal-line technology.

Sepp Blatter addressed the 35th Uefa Congress in Paris on Tuesday

All that plays well in the court of public opinion. But you and I don't have a vote. And Blatter knows his electorate of 208 member countries better than anyone.

So today's move was a shrewd political manoeuvre designed to win the support of Platini, who would like to eventually take over the Fifa presidency himself.

As I wrote here last week, Bin Hammam's decision to stand now presents Platini with a problem. Despite being groomed by Blatter after the France World Cup in 1998, his relationship with the Fifa president is thought to have soured in recent years.

Bin Hammam, another who has fallen out with Blatter after being a close ally in the recent past, wants to capitalise on that to join forces with Platini and oust the current president.

But if Platini sides with Bin Hammam he risks ruling himself out of the presidency for many years to come. Many of the big European nations here today sense that a vote for Bin Hammam could be another for taking football away from its traditional home and to emerging countries like Qatar.

So, Blatter's declaration today opened the way for an alliance between Platini and his old mentor which may make Bin Hammam's chances of winning this contest even harder.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/davidbond/2011/03/sepp_blatter_used_the_forum.html

Didi Ian Rush Peter Schmeichel Paolo Rossi