Deep pockets and diplomacy, Korean Chung set for FIFA race

Former FIFA vice president Chung Mong-joon, one of the most influential figures in Asian soccer, said on Thursday he is entering the race to replace Sepp Blatter as president of football’s world governing body.

With regards to Platini’s bid to take over from Blatter, Chung added: “It will be very hard for him to have any meaningful reforms”.

The AFC backed Blatter in this year’s presidential election despite the fact his challenger Prince Ali bin Hussein came from an AFC member nation; Jordan.

FIFA’s image has been hampered after 14 sports marketing executives and football officials, including several from Zurich-based FIFA, were indicted by the United States in late May over corruption charges. Swiss authorities simultaneously opened a separate investigation into how the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were awarded to Russian Federation and Qatar respectively. They want to be part of the solution. The South-Korean has also said that Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) president Michel Platini is not the right man to run FIFA.

Chung is part of his father Ju-Yung Chung’s self-made dynasty, which founded the powerful Hyundai Group of companies, which has nterests ranging from motor cars to ship building.