Zen Ruffinen likely to stand for FIFA presidency

Johannesburg: Former FIFA secretary-general Michel Zen Ruffinen revealed that he had been asked to stand for the presidency to succeed under-fire Sepp Blatter.

Reacting on the matter, Zen Ruffinen affirmed that he would decide to run in the election after monitoring the situation, Sport24 reported.

Zen Ruffinen had served as the secretary general of the football governing body from 1998 to 2002.

He had also blamed Blatter for mismanaging FIFA’s finances before the presidential election in May 2002.

Earlier, FIFA had relieved Blatter of all his duties as a president by handing him a 90-day suspension due to criminal proceedings against him.

Meanwhile, Michel Platini, who had been the most favourite to succeed Blatter, saw his ambition to become president ending after receiving an identical ban.

FIFA was plunged into an unprecedented crisis when Swiss prosecutors opened criminal proceedings against embattled FIFA president Sepp Blatter last month over allegations that he sold World Cup TV rights to disgraced former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner for 20 times below their true value.

Platini was also questioned over claims that he received a ‘disloyal payment’ of 1.35 million pounds from the controversial president in 2011, though both of them have denied charges.

The election for the appointment of new FIFA president will take place next year on February 26.

ANI