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South Korean launches FIFA presidency bid

August 17, 2015

South Korean billionaire Chung Mong-Joon has launched a bid for the FIFA presidency. Chung attacked both outgoing chief Sepp Blatter and frontrunner Michel Platini, vowing to end corruption in football's governing body.

https://p.dw.com/p/1GGby
Former FIFA Vice President Chung Mong-joon, from South Korea, speaks to reporters on his plans to visit the US and earn support for his campaign to run for FIFA president at the Incheon International Airport, South Korea, 23 July 2015 (Photo: EPA/YONHAP SOUTH KOREA OUT +++(c) dpa - Bildfunk+++)
Image: picture-alliance/EPA/Yonhap

Chung, who officially launched his campaign in Paris, said he needed only one term as FIFA's president to fix the scandal-tainted world football body.

"Today FIFA is undergoing a profound crisis. Under these circumstances, the FIFA president must be a crisis manager and a reformer," Chung, a former FIFA vice president and one of the harshest critics of Blatter, told a press conference on Monday.

"The problem at FIFA is that those mired in corruption, the only thing they are interested in is hiding the corruption," said Chung, whose family owns parts of the Hyundai conglomerate.

"I can change FIFA in four years. That is my pledge to football fans in the world," he vowed.

Chung directly attacked outgoing FIFA head Blatter and said it was because of Blatter that FIFA had lost its integrity.

"The real reason FIFA has become such a corrupt organization is because the same person [Blatter] has been running it for 40 years," he said, adding that "absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Pressure is mounting on FIFA to introduce reforms, in light of the organization's deepening corruption crisis.

On May 27, several FIFA officials with arrested in connection to the scandal. At a meeting of the president's group a day after the arrests, Platini urged Blatter - his ally-turned-adversary - to resign. Blatter refused to leave and was re-elected the next day. Within days, however, he announced his resignation at an extraordinary meeting of FIFA's executive committee, now set for February in Zurich.

'Like father like son'

The 63-year-old Chung also criticized UEFA's president Platini in his speech and said the former French football star should not run for FIFA's presidency. He said Platini had been too close to the FIFA organization and to Blatter himself.

UEFA President Michel Platini (L) and FIFA President Sepp Blatter pictured before the semi final match of the UEFA EURO 2012 between Germany and Italy in Warsaw, Poland, 28 June 2012 (Photo: EPA/OLIVER WEIKEN UEFA Terms and Conditions apply http://www.epa.eu/downloads/UEFA-EURO2012-TCS.pdf)
Chung: 'Relationship between Blatter and Platini was that of a mentor and protege, or a father and son'Image: picture-alliance/dpa

"Michel Platini was a great football player, and he is my friend. His problem is that he does not seem to appreciate the seriousness of the corruption crisis at FIFA," said Chung, adding that Blatter and Platini once had a "father and son" like relationship.

The South Korean football official emphasized that it was time to move the FIFA presidency away from Europe and Brazil.

"If Europe had provided healthy and discerning leadership, would FIFA be in this kind of mess today? This is not a criticism bit an appeal to you to think."

Brazil's football legend, Zico, and former FIFA vice president from Jordan, Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, have also announced their candidacy.

shs/rg (AFP, Reuters)

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