FIFA president Sepp Blatter said Monday that he would not be a candidate in the election to find a successor.
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“On February 26, FIFA will have a new president,” Blatter told a press conference where he was repeatedly asked whether he would stand for reelection.
A British comedian on Monday gatecrashed Sepp Blatter’s efforts to defend FIFA’s reputation, showering the football leader with fake dollar bills at a press conference.
The 79-year-old Swiss official looked shaken as the notes thrown by Simon Brodkin fluttered around him in a conference hall at the FIFA headquarters. He was taken away in a Swiss police car after the stunt.
Brodkin, who uses the stage name Lee Nelson and has a track record of barging in on high profile events, walked in front of Blatter as he started a press conference to announce the date of a presidential election.
Brodkin placed banknotes on Blatter’s desk and then explained that he was representing a “North Korea 2026” bid for the World Cup.
As security guards took Brodkin away he shouted “here you go Sepp” and threw more banknotes into the air.
Blatter returned to his office for 10 minutes for the podium to be cleaned up. When the press conference started he apologised and blamed the incident on “a lack of education.”
“This has nothing to do with football,” he added.
After the stunt, Brodkin tweeted a photo of himself with the message: “Excited to be at FIFA meeting Sepp Blatter to secure the #NorthKorea2026 World Cup.”
Film of the incident quickly became a social media sensation.
The comedian, who has appeared on British television shows, is a repeat gatecrasher.
He invaded the stage during rapper Kanye West’s set at the Glastonbury music festival last month and was wrestled off the stage by a security guard.
Brodkin dressed up as a member of the England football team and tried to board their pre-World Cup flight to the United States last year.
By AFP
