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SEOUL. – South Korean billionaire Chung Mong-Joon pushed his candidacy for the FIFA presidency in uncompromising terms yesterday, calling Sepp Blatter a corrupt “cannibal” and painting his main election rival Michel Platini as an untrustworthy stooge. A former FIFA vice-president and powerbroker of Asian football, Chung described himself as a candidate untainted by scandal and with a global, non-Eurocentric vision to take football’s governing body into a new era.

The billionaire scion of Korea’s Hyundai group confirmed he would formally announce his candidacy to replace Blatter next week and also pledged that, if elected, he would only serve a single, four-year term.

“During those four years I hope I can fulfil my agenda, making FIFA a true, sporting NGO – open, transparent, moral, ethical and truly global,” Chung told AFP during an interview in Seoul.

“I don’t want to be a FIFA president who just enjoys the luxury of the presidential office,” he added.

The 63-year-old is among a shortlist of declared and likely candidates that includes the likes of UEFA president Platini and Prince Ali bin al Hussein of Jordan. -AFP.