Chung drops bid for FIFA presidency

Chung Mong-joon

By Nam Hyun-woo

Former FIFA Vice President Chung Mong-joon dropped his bid for the FIFA presidency Monday.

Chung made the announcement via his blog in a post dubbed “As I withdraw my candidacy.”

Monday was the deadline for filing for the Feb. 26 FIFA election to replace outgoing President Sepp Blatter.

After being slapped with a six-year ban on Oct. 8 by FIFA’s Ethics Committee, Chung struggled to maintain his candidacy by filing a petition with a Swiss court to lift the ban temporarily so he could meet the deadline, but the court rejected his appeal, ruling out his chance of running.

On the blog, Chung said: “Because of the Ethics Committee’s unjust sanctions, I will have to miss the Oct. 26 deadline to file my candidacy.”

Still, he pledged to fight for changes in the football body.

“As someone who loves football, I will continue to speak out frankly about FIFA’s problems and will continue to work with all those who love football to bring about legitimate changes from within FIFA,” he said.

In the posting, Chung mostly reiterated his earlier claims that he has fallen victim to “constant harassment” by the Ethics Committee’s so-called “investigation” and the committee has been trying to prevent him from running for president.

“When the Ethics Committee finally announced its decision on Oct. 8, it sanctioned me for six years, not for my alleged violations of vote-trading or the appearance of offering a benefit regarding the Global Football Fund, but for violating such vague articles as general obligation to collaborate, duty of disclosure and confidentiality,” he wrote.

Earlier this month, Chung said that he had been investigated for alleged vote-trading during the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process and was being investigated by the Ethics Committee for letters he sent to his fellow FIFA Executive Committee members explaining a proposal to launch a $777 million “Global Football Fund” (GFF) in 2010.

With the ban virtually ending Chung’s bid for the top FIFA job, the Korean tycoon and veteran politician claimed that the Ethics Committee’s investigation was politically motivated and said he would resort to every available means to maintain his candidacy.

He is now forced to stay away from the football body, but he wrote that he believes, “The true way to serve FIFA is by continuing to speak out against FIFA’s hypocritical system,” and called for punishment of the “culprits of past corruption,” including the beleaguered Blatter.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank my friends in the global football community, the media and the Korean people for their support. Many enthusiastically supported my candidacy and efforts to reform FIFA, although they could not do so publicly due to the atmosphere of fear created by FIFA,” Chung said.