Joseph Blatter, the eighth FIFA president (elected on 08/06/1998, suspended on 08/10/2015)

The FIFA presidential elections in Zurich (SUI), on 26/02/2016, are the first vote which will not feature Joseph Blatter as a candidate since 1998. Born on 10/03/1936, the Swiss was re-elected as FIFA president for four years (2015-2019), following the withdrawal of Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein (Jordan) at the conclusion of the first round of voting during the 65^th FIFA Congress in Zurich on 29/05/2015. Joseph Blatter received 133 votes out of a possible 206 in the first round of the election. His only rival, Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, collected 73 votes, but decided to withdraw before the second round where only a simple majority (50%+1) of votes would have been necessary.

Following his re-election, Blatter began a fifth term at the head of FIFA. First elected on 08/06/1998 in Paris (France), when Blatter defeated the Swede Lennart Johansson, he was subsequently re-elected in 2002, 2007 and 2011.

"Of course, I am relieved by my re-election, but also by the atmosphere that prevailed in the Executive Committee which confirmed that I was not alone. We are in football. Those who lose…