Chung Mong-Joon has said he will continue the fight against what he claims is Sepp Blatter’s continuing influence at FIFA.
Chung’s attempt to replace Blatter as president of world football’s governing body ended in 2015 when it banned him for six years for infringing an ethics code during South Korea’s failed bid to host the 2022 World Cup.
Chung told a news conference that he would appeal against the ban, which was later reduced to five years, at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The 65-year-old, a FIFA vice-president from 1994 to 2011, said clearing his name would mean he can help FIFA, which has been plagued by corruption scandals in recent years, continue reforms made after Blatter was forced to step down in December 2015.
“When one looks at the key members of the ethics committee and the appeal committee who were put there by Blatter, I realize that this is not the end of FIFA’s reform but only the beginning,” Chung said.
“I will seek all means possible to fight this, including an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”
Blatter was replaced as president by Gianni Infantino in February 2016, but Chung claimed supporters of the long-serving Swiss president still hold positions of power.
“I really expect that Infantino will change lots of things for FIFA, but Blatter’s people are still on the ethics committee and appeal committee,” he said.
“It’s going to take some time, but I will do everything in my power to make FIFA clean.”
He claimed the FIFA appeals committee had been dragging out his case deliberately and accused it of “malicious behaviour.”
Chung added: “My goal is not to take high-ranking positions in FIFA again.
“Who is going to do this kind of work besides me? I think this is my given duty.”
