- FIFA President Sepp Blatter says he is prepared to bid for a fifth term
- 77-year-old will stand for re-election if backed by member associations
- Swiss has been in charge of FIFA since 1998
(CNN) — World governing body FIFA has had just two presidents in 40 years and current incumbent Sepp Blatter has given his strongest indication yet that he wants to extend that record further.
The Swiss has been in charge since 1998, when Brazilian Joao Havelange ended his 24-year reign.
Read: Blatter says he will step down in 2015
Prior to being elected unopposed for a fourth term in 2011, Blatter — who turns 78 next month — said he would stand down in 2015.
Yet an interview with Swiss radio on Friday shows that he has had a change of heart ahead of next year’s elections.
“If I have the health — and currently I am in good health — I don’t see why I should stop the work,” Blatter told the public station RTS.
“FIFA needs consolidation. Many people say it needs to be continued.”
“I will not shout ‘I’m a candidate’ but if the member associations ask me, I will not say no.”
As with any potential candidate, Blatter — who started working for FIFA as a Technical Director in 1975 — needs the support of five national associations to be eligible to stand for election.
He has previously spoken of a desire to fulfill his mission, as he looks to secure his legacy.
Widely criticized for controversial comments about racism and FIFA’s handling of the bidding process to stage both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, Blatter will point to having taken the tournament to Africa in 2010 and to the Middle East in eight years’ time as among his greatest successes.
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