Sepp Blatter re-elected as Fifa president, gives truly rambling victory speech

Sepp Blatter has been re-elected as president of Fifa.

In a week when US and Swiss investigators swooped on senior Fifa officials in an alleged corruption probe and the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups came under investigation, Blatter won 133 votes to his sole challenger Prince Ali bin Hussein of Jordan's 73.

With 206 out of 209 national federations casting their votes, Blatter was just short of the two-thirds majority needed to avoid a second round, but Prince Ali withdrew, later telling journalists that he did so to prevent the 73 associations from getting into any more trouble.

Blatter's unusual way with words is well documented, but even by his rambling standards his victory speech was bizarre.

Taking to the podium to congratulate Prince Ali, he said:

Ladies and gentlemen I thank you for accepting me for the next four years. I will be in command of this boat called Fifa and we will bring it back, we will bring it back offshore and we will bring it back to the beach, we will bring it back finally where football can be played - beach soccer can be played everywhere.

He moved on to claim that in the next four years Fifa would have to diversify, to muted applause from the Fifa congress in Zurich:

We need ladies.

On what would happen to the World Cups in Russia and Qatar in 2018 and 2022 respectively, currently under investigation by Swiss authorities, he said:

We don't touch the World Cup and I have said it before, I take the responsibility to bring back Fifa, with you, we do it, we do it and I am convinced we can do it… in time I will give this Fifa to my successor in a strong position.

The 79-year-old, who said "the age is no problem", finished with a flourish, concluding his speech to less than rapturous applause with:

I like you, I like my job, and I like to be with you. I'm not perfect, nobody's perfect. We will do a good job together I'm sure. Together with trust and confidence, together we go, let's go Fifa, let's go Fifa!

Later, after leaving the stage, Blatter told reporters:

I am the president of everybody.

Four more years!

More: [The 12 most farcical things Sepp Blatter has said or done as Fifa president]2