Sepp Blatter has been officially re-elected as Fifa’s president for a fifth term by the world governing body’s 209 member associations.

Blatter, 79, saw off the challenge of Jordan’s Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein at Fifa’s annual Congress in Zurich. In a secret ballot he was re-elected with 133 votes from the 209 voting members.

The process was to go to a second round of voting, after Blatter failed to get the 139 votes needed in the first round to win; a two-thirds majority was necessary. Blatter received 133 votes Prince Ali 73 and three ballots were spoiled.

However, Prince Ali conceded before the second round of voting took place – when a simple majority would have been enough for either contender to win.

"I thank you that you accept me and that for the next four years, I will be in command of this boat called FIFA and we'll bring it back to the short," Blatter said in his winning speech.

Blatter joined FIFA in 1975 and has been FIFA president since 1998.

His win came despite demands that he quit in the face of a bribery scandal being investigated by US, Swiss and other law enforcement agencies that plunged the world football body into the worst crisis in its 111-year history.

Speaking just before the vote, Blatter said he felt that he had only been with the organisation for a short time and wanted to stay longer.

"What is time anyway. I find that the time I have spent at FIFA is very short," he said. "The more one ages the more time flies by quickly. I am with you, and I would like to stay with you."

More to follow...

More to follow

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