Sepp Blatter confirms he will seek re-election for 5th term as FIFA president

Sepp Blatter has no intention of stepping aside just yet.

To the chagrin of many, the beleaguered FIFA president confirmed Monday that he will indeed seek re-election for a fifth term as football's top executive.

Blatter, 78, has previously hinted at such a decision, but had always stopped short of a full confirmation. However, with the recent announcement that UEFA president Michel Platini would not challenge him in next year's election, instead focusing on retaining his own role, Blatter's announcement comes as little surprise.

"I will make an official declaration definitely in September now when we have the executive committee," he said Monday in a pre-recorded interview shown at the SoccerEx conference in Manchester. "I will inform the executive committee. It's a question of respect also to say then to the football family, 'Yes I will be ready. I will be a candidate.'"

First elected in 1998, the Swiss administrator has faced little competition for the position in recent years, being re-elected unopposed in 2011 after (now disgraced) executive Mohamed bin Hammam withdrew his candidacy.

Despite being mired in corruption scandals - which caused Blatter to initially claim that this term, his fourth, would be his last - he seems to have retained the support of many national federations.

While his presence at stadiums throughout the world is often the source of ridicule from the supporters in attendance, the sentiment from national associations seems to be far more positive.

"A mission is never finished, and my mission is not finished," Blatter said. "I got [from] the last congress in Sao Paulo not only the impression but the support of the majority, a huge majority of national associations asking 'Please go on, be our president also in future.'"

The election is scheduled to take place on May 29 in Zurich, with former FIFA international relations director Jérôme Champagne as the only person standing between Blatter and a fifth term as football's most powerful person.

The Frenchman, 56, confirmed his intention to challenge for the position earlier this year, but it is widely expected that Blatter will retain the role.