Chung Mong-joon Announces Candidacy as FIFA President
Chung Mong-joon - the former president of KFA - has officially announced that he will run as president of FIFA, pledging that he will help clean up the association.
"It is my privilege and honor to announce my candidacy", the former athlete (in cross-country skiing and horseback riding) says during a news conference in Paris on August 17.
He has also spoken about corruption while Sepp Blatter was in power.
"The real reason FIFA has become such a corrupt organization is because the same person and his cronies have been running it for 40 years. Absolute power corrupts absolutely".
And he mentioned how the former president has made a bad name for FIFA.
"It has pained me to witness the spectacle of the FIFA president being booed by the fans at football stadiums everywhere. In 2011, when a European sports magazine conducted a survey asking 'What do you think about FIFA President Joseph Blatter?', 95% said 'Blatter is ruining football'".
Sepp Blatter has served as president of FIFA for 17 years. He was re-elected into the seat on May 29, but was pressured to step down on June 2 amidst the federal investigations conducted by the United States and Switzerland. Since May 27, FIFA's senior officials have been under fire for widespread corruption.
To this, Chung promises change and transparency if he is elected for the position.
"Under these circumstances, the FIFA president must be a crisis manager and a reformer".
He adds, "After decades of an ever-widening circle of corruption, FIFA needs a leader who can bring back common sense, transparency and accountability", pledging to be transparent with his expenses, salary and bonuses.
The application for presidency has to be submitted by October 26 and 209 member countries will vote on February 26, 2016.
So far, there are already a handful of candidates. They include Blatter's ally, UEFA President Michel Platini, whom Chung criticizes as having a "father and son" relationship with Blatter.
Other candidates are LFA President Musa Bility (Liberia), Prince Ali bin al-Hussein (Jordan) and former football legend Zico (Brazil). Former footballer Diego Maradona has also expressed his intention to run for presidency.
