Chung says he is threatened by FIFA ban

Published October 6th, 2015 - 11:57 GMT
Al Bawaba
Al Bawaba

FIFA presidential candidate Chung Mong Joon said Tuesday he could be given a 19-year ban from football by the world governing body's ethics committee and ruled out as a potential replacement for current president Joseph Blatter.

The suspension would include 15 years for ethics breaches surrounding South Korea's failed bid to host the 2022 World Cup and four years for public criticism of the ethics committee.

Chung denied any wrong doing and accused FIFA of attempting to block his bid to become president.

"The real danger is that they won't stop at sabotaging my candidacy but also destroying the presidential election and FIFA itself," Chung told a press conference in Seoul.

Chung had proposed, in letters to the FIFA executive committee, a 777-million-dollar fund to boost football development across the world. Though South Korea were bidding for the World Cup at this time, Chung claims his suggestion was in line with FIFA rules.

He added FIFA had investigated the case in 2010 but had since reopened the matter after he declared his presidential bid this August.

Chung, a former FIFA vice president, is standing to replace Blatter in an election held at an extraordinary congress on February 26, 2016.

UEFA president Michel Platini and Jordanian Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein have also declared their intention to stand ahead of the October 26 deadline.

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