Sepp Blatter re-elected FIFA president despite arrests of top aides

Sepp Blatter concluded a difficult week by handily winning a fifth term as president of world soccer's governing body Friday, beating Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan in a vote of the body's member organizations.

Mr. Blatter soundly defeated Prince Ali in the first round of voting, 133-73, but fell just short of the percentage needed for re-election. But Prince Ali conceded just as the election was headed to a second ballot.

Mr. Blatter, one of the most powerful people in sports, has run FIFA, the governing body of world soccer, as an autocracy since winning the presidency in 1998. He was expected to defeat Prince Ali despite the allegations of criminal behavior that have engulfed his organization this week. The vote took place only miles from the luxury hotel where several top FIFA officials were arrested Wednesday on corruption charges brought by the United States.

For years, FIFA's membership has largely operated in lock step under Mr. Blatter as he weathered numerous controversies — corruption, bribery, match-fixing and others — and rarely showed any sign of vulnerability. In the previous two presidential races, he ran unopposed. The federal charges this week against some of his top officials were considered an international embarrassment, but hardly a threat to his power. NYT

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