South Korea’s Chung Mong-joon, who is weighing up a bid to replace Sepp Blatter as president of scandal-hit FIFA, said yesterday that he will meet European soccer body UEFA president Michel Platini and other leading figures while in Berlin for the Champions League final.
Chung, the billionaire scion of South Korea’s Hyundai conglomerate, said on Wednesday he would seek the opinions of international soccer power brokers before making any decision about a run for the sport’s top job.
He said on his Web site he was traveling to the German capital for today’s Champions League final between Barcelona and Juventus and would also meet soccer officials to discuss the world soccer body’s future.
Photo: EPA
“Chung Mong-joon is to exchange opinions on FIFA reform while meeting with soccer authorities, including Michel Platini,” the statement said, adding that he was to leave for Europe yesterday.
Blatter, who has been a dominant presence at FIFA for decades, rocked the world of soccer on Tuesday by saying he would step down as FIFA president in the wake of a corruption investigation that now includes the 79-year-old himself.
A total of 14 FIFA officials and corporate executives have been charged by the US Department of Justice with running a criminal enterprise involving more than US$150 million in bribes.
Chung, a former FIFA vice president, is one of Blatter’s fiercest critics and has long called for FIFA to improve transparency.
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