Editing Sepp Blatter (section)

=== 1998 election ===
{{Main|51st FIFA Congress}}
Blatter's 1998 election to the presidency of FIFA over [[UEFA]] President [[Lennart Johansson]] occurred amidst much controversy.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Denis |last1=Campbell |first2=Simon |last2=Kuper |url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/sport/issues/story/0,11839,676076,00.html |title=$1m 'fixed' the FIFA poll, author claims |work=The Observer |date=21 March 1999 |access-date=19 February 2007 |archive-date=14 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014051753/http://observer.guardian.co.uk/sport/issues/story/0,11839,676076,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Andrew |last=Jennings |url=http://www.soccernet.com/global/news/2002/0228/20020228featjenningsmain.html |title=Havelange to Blatter, the dynasty based on corruption |publisher=ESPN.com Soccernet |date=28 February 2002 |access-date=19 February 2007 |archive-date=16 May 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060516073810/http://www.soccernet.com/global/news/2002/0228/20020228featjenningsmain.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Blatter's 2002 candidacy was marked with rumours of financial irregularities and backroom dealings,<ref>[https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2002/0504/breaking28.htm FIFA president Blatter accused of corruption] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923061413/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/fifa-president-blatter-accused-of-corruption-1.422278 |date=23 September 2021 }}, The Irish Times citing Reuters, 04–05–02.</ref> culminating with direct accusations of bribery, by a third party, made in the British press by Farra Ado, vice-president of the [[Confederation of African Football]] and president of the [[Somali Football Federation]], who claimed to have been offered $100,000 to vote for Blatter in 1998.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/02/28/soccer.blatter/index.html?related |title=Bribery allegation over FIFA poll |publisher=CNN |date=28 February 2002 |access-date=19 February 2007 |archive-date=20 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070320040500/http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/02/28/soccer.blatter/index.html?related |url-status=live }}</ref>