Jerome Champagne pulls out of FIFA presidential race

Sepp Blatter has one less contender to worry about.

Jerome Champagne has withdrawn from the FIFA presidential race after failing to receive the necessary support from five national football associations, FIFA confirmed on Monday.

The Frenchman outlined the reasoning behind his decision in the following statement, courtesy of ESPN FC:

I regret to have to announce that I have not presented the five sponsorship letters needed to be registered as a candidate in the election of 29 May. I warmly thank the three federations that have endorsed me and the many presidents who explained with candour and friendship, that they could not do it despite their interest in my program

The institutions have mobilised to eliminate the only independent candidate. The latest events orchestrated in secret with barely veiled intentions by one of them, distributing letters of support between candidates, made me lose sponsorships, especially in Europe!

The hidden agenda - or not so hidden after all - is clear: under the guise of reforming FIFA lies the objective of further weakening it in favour of continental structures. This at a time when a strong governance of football, with regulatory and redistributive powers, is needed more than ever. It constitutes the perennial vision of UEFA since 1998!

It is also to pave the road for the wealthy actors of the West European football to get their hands on the last thing they do not control yet: FIFA and the world government of football.

Champagne's decision leaves three men vying to usurp Blatter for the top job in football's governing body.

The Swiss administrator, who is the overwhelming favorite to win his fifth consecutive term in the May 29 election, will be opposed by FIFA vice president Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein, Dutch FA president Michael van Praag and Portuguese former star Luis Figo.