Blatter gets four more years as boss of FIFA

PETER CAVE: Sepp Blatter has been re-elected unopposed but not unanimously for four more years as head of soccer's world ruling body FIFA.

Blatter won 186 votes out of the 203 cast in the poll, with 17 abstentions.

A push by England for the vote to be postponed in the wake of the current corruption scandal fell flat.

Europe correspondent, Rachael Brown, reports.

RACHAEL BROWN: Sepp Blatter and Colonel Gaddafi grace the front page of England's Sun newspaper. The headline, "Despot the difference".

The FIFA boss has been labelled a deluded dictator, clinging to power as his regime crumbles around him, but inside the FIFA family his power base is as strong as ever.

He's pronounced himself captain Blatter.

SEPP BLATTER (translated): We all know the FIFA ship is in moving waters, I could even say in troubled waters, but I think this ship must be brought back on the right route and I am the captain of the ship.

RACHAEL BROWN: The English and Scottish football associations had called for the vote to be postponed.

The FA chairman, David Bernstein.

DAVID BERNSTEIN: The election has turned into a one horse race. A coronation without an opponent provides a flawed mandate.

RACHAEL BROWN: But he was humiliated, other members of the FIFA family attacked him for the rebellion and overwhelmingly voted for the presidency poll to go ahead as planned.

ANNOUNCER: One-hundred-and-seventy-two no for this proposal of the FA to postpone the elections.

RACHAEL BROWN: Then it was down to business. One commentator noted paint would've dried quicker than the time it took for the FIFA family to go through the motions.

COMMENTATOR: Could they have devised a slower system of voting where you only have to get 200 plus votes into a ballot box with only one name.

RACHAEL BROWN: And the winner is?

ANNOUNCER: One-eight-six for the president Joseph S. Blatter.

SEPP BLATTER (translated): I would simply like to tell you that I am deeply moved, I am honoured.

RACHAEL BROWN: Australia's football federation, which hasn't weighed into the recent bickering about FIFA and its leader, says it's optimistic about the reforms promised.

The FFA's chief executive, Ben Buckley.

BEN BUCKLEY: Well certainly the language coming from the president and the rest of the FIFA executives today was positive in that it would look to reform the decision making process, particularly around the World Cup.

And we've been on the record before as saying that that process is somewhat flawed and needs to be looked at.

There's a strong willingness for FIFA to look at the governance practices and that's a good step in the right direction.

PETER CAVE: FFA's chief executive Ben Buckley.

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