select a team ---------- Europe: Belgium Croatia Denmark England France Germany Ireland Italy Poland Portugal Russia Slovenia Spain Sweden Turkey ---------- South America: Argentina Brazil Ecuador Paraguay Uruguay ---------- Africa: Cameroon Nigeria Senegal South Africa Tunisia ---------- Asia: China Japan Saudi Arabia South Korea ---------- CONCACAF: Costa Rica Mexico United States     Main page    Schedule    Stadiums

World soccer body puts faith in Blatter

Blatter secured a second four-year term

SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- After months of controversy that threatened to tear football's world governing body apart, embattled FIFA president Sepp Blatter has kept his hold on power with a crushing re-election victory.

Fending off accusations of corruption and mismanagement, Blatter won another four years as FIFA head -- with 139 votes to 56 -- just two days before the World Cup finals kick off in Japan and South Korea.

Blatter, who took over FIFA's top job in 1998, defeated his only challenger, 55-year-old African football chief Issa Hayatou at the congress of FIFA member nations in the South Korean capital, after hours of angry debate.

Although Blatter was widely expected to win, his leadership had come under the spotlight following accusations he mishandled FIFA's finances and nearly bankrupted the organization.

'Victory for football'

MORE STORIES Troubled times at FIFA    AUDIO Oceania Football Conference head Basil Scarsella on FIFA's damaged reputation and how Blatter's reelection may affect Oceania's World Cup hopes. 798k / 1min. 14secs. WAV sound Chuck Blazer, general secretary of CONCACAF, the North and Central American and Caribbean football confederation, on the future of FIFA and the dirty politics of the election campaign. 585k / 54 secs WAV sound

Just hours after the win, Blatter said his re-election was a victory for football and vowed to restore FIFA's reputation.

"Victory goes to football," Blatter told reporters after securing another four-year term.

"Football is a game of the people and the people cannot lie. Therefore today is also a victory for the truth."

But Blatter also sent out a clear warning to some of his detractors, saying they were "in trouble" after one of the most acrimonious and spiteful election campaigns in sporting history.

Blatter has denied the allegations of corruption and mismanagement leveled at him in recent months.

Some of the hardest hitting accusations have come from within FIFA's own executive committee, who say that Blatter took FIFA to the point of financial ruin.

'Dictatorship'

Sparked by a report prepared by FIFA's general secretary, Michel Zen-Ruffinen, 11 out of 24 executive committee members started legal action in May against Blatter for alleged mismanagement.

Included in the report were claims of corruption, illegal payments, and the suggestion that FIFA was being run "like a dictatorship ... to the benefit of third parties and his (Blatter's) personal interest."

The FIFA head was also slammed for halting an internal audit of FIFA's finances, which sought to look into the fallout of the $300 million collapse of FIFA's marketing partner in 2001.

But the allegations were not enough to sway the voting FIFA members from re-electing Blatter.

Observers say that the 66-year-old Swiss-born Blatter was able to rely heavily on votes from North and South America, Africa and the Caribbean, where he has done much to promote and finance football during his term.

Mending fences

Hayatou, center, was the only challenger

Saying the last few months had been "very difficult," Blatter said he would spend his time trying to restore unity within FIFA and called on delegates to mend fences.

"I have been given a very clear mandate with a high responsibility to reinstall harmony and confidence in the football family inside in order to gain credibility outside," Blatter said.

Blatter said he would work at changing the dynamics of FIFA and needed three months to plan changes, which might include a reshuffle of the executive committee.

"When I get attacks from outside the house, you can just close the house," Blatter said.

"But if you have these attacks from inside the house you don't know how to defend. Especially when you don't expect the attack. It is very sad, but it is all over."

Zen-Ruffinen's future is cloudy, with observers expecting him to resign shortly. Blatter admitted his right-hand man might be "in trouble" though did not say when or if he would be replaced.

Blatter detractors such as head of European football body Lennart Johannson said it was paramount to bring back unity within FIFA.

"What we also have to do is bring back the family together, respect each other, let the executive committee become the governing body and have open powers, " Johannson said.

Blatter defeated Johannson to take FIFA's top job in 1998 and become the eighth president in FIFA's 98-year history.