Argentine football legend Diego Maradona has reportedly confirmed that he intends to run for the FIFA presidency to succeed Sepp Blatter
Paris: Diego Maradona will stand for the presidency of scandal-tainted FIFA presidency, a Uruguayan journalist who presents a television show with the Argentine football legend, said today.
"'I am candidate' are the words that Diego Maradona used when I asked him about the candidacy for the FIFA presidency," journalist Victor Hugo Morales said on Twitter.
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Morales said he had telephoned Maradona to ask how his father was. The two present the De Zurda television show together.
Diego Maradona
Maradona is a strong critic of FIFA under current president Sepp Blatter, who announced last month that he would step down.
Morales, famous for his commentary of Maradona's astounding second goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final, said on Twitter that he has been authorised by Maradona to release the information and make it public that his name will be on the ballot paper.
"He (Maradona) told me he was going to run for president of FIFA and authorised me to inform," tweeted Morales, who co-hosted a TV programme with Maradona during last year's World Cup finals.
"'I am a candidate' were the words Diego Maradona used to answer me when I consulted him about the nomination for the presidency of FIFA," Morales said.
In May, Maradona launched a scathing attack on Blatter saying: "Under Sepp Blatter, FIFA has become a disgrace and a painful embarrassment to those of us who care about football deeply."
World football's governing body has been rocked by two multinational corruption investigations launched by US and Swiss authorities.
Former Brazilian star Zico and Liberian football federation president Musa Bility have already declared themselves candidates.
The special FIFA congress will not be held before December.
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