Blatter to contest another FIFA election

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ROME, Oct 20, 2009 (AFP) - FIFA president Sepp Blatter told Tuesday's Gazzetta dello Sport that he wants to continue beyond the end of his term in office in 2011.

The 73-year-old has been FIFA president since 1998 when he replaced Brazilian Joao Havelange at the head of the top post in world football.

In 2007 he was re-elected for the third time but the Swiss says he's not ready to stop just yet.

"I haven't finished my mission in football, I need more time," he told the Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I hope in 2011 the Congress will show faith in me. Otherwise I'll return to my village, Visp, and take part in bocce (an Italian game from the boules family closely related to bowls and petanque) tournaments," he said.

"There's a beautiful covered bocciodrome (stadium for playing bocce) but I love big stadiums. Football is my life."

Blatter has had an often controversial tenure as FIFA president, introducing new laws such as the silver and then golden goals, banning matches being played at high altitude and stopping the World Cup winners from gaining direct entry into the following tournament.

His original election and subsequent tenure has also been beset by allegations of corruption.