FIFA president Sepp Blatter has confirmed that he plans to stand election in 2007, providing he is still healthy.

Blatter, 70, took over the FIFA presidency from Brazilian Joao Havelange in 1998 and feels he can carry on until 2011.

“Yes I will make myself available again in 2007,” Blatter said Thursday.

“The only question is how my health will be then.”

In his eight-year reign Blatter has rebuilt FIFA’s finances, but he has come in for criticism for some of his more outlandish ideas.

He once suggested getting rid of draws by introducing shoot outs at the end of 90 minutes. He has also proposed making goals bigger to make games more exciting, dividing matches into quarters to allow more advertising and sponsorship opportunities and outlawing tackles.

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