FIFA president Sepp Blatter suffers blow in re-election campaign as support from South American stutters

The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) Congress held in Paraquay this week has given the first indication that the FIFA presidential election in May might not be a procession to Sepp Blatter’s fifth term in office.


The confederation had been expected to give Blatter a unanimous vote of support.
But the motion was never put to the 10 delegates, in the knowledge that it would not be fully backed.

CONMEBOL has long been a Blatter stronghold, but a number of the old guard have been replaced by football federation leaders, including President Juan Angel Napout, who won’t necessarily back Blatter at all costs.

The significance of the CONMEBOL snub to Blatter is that it was the first confederation gathering since three genuine challengers —Prince Ali of Jordan, Belgium’s Michael van Praag and Portugal’s former world footballer of the year Luis Figo — declared their candidacy for the FIFA presidency.

Blatter’s overwhelming shows of support in Asia and Africa occurred when the FIFA president wasn’t expected to face any realistic opposition.
But all the challengers were in Asuncion, Paraquay on the campaign trail.