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Sepp Blatter survives FIFA scandal; elected president for fifth time

A new election triumph in the midst of a corruption scandal established FIFA president Sepp Blatter as the politician who can come through any storm.

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FIFA President Sepp Blatter makes a speech at the 65th FIFA Congress in Zurich
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The future of soccer's embattled governing body was at stake today as Sepp Blatter sought a fifth term as FIFA president amid the biggest corruption crisis in the organisations' 111-year history.

Voting among the 209 member federations went to a second round today with the 79-year-old Blatter up for re-election against Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan.

A new election triumph in the midst of a corruption scandal established FIFA president Sepp Blatter as the politician who can come through any storm.

Unapologetically divisive, Blatter has had to deal with scandal virtually since his first day in office.

And Blatter knows that he still has a long way to go to reach the aim he outlined Friday of getting FIFA in a safe port "where the boats will stop rocking." "He sees it all like a marathon. And he is one of the most determined men you will meet," said one FIFA executive member about the 79-year-old Swiss official.

Blatter, who has been at FIFA for 40 years, 17 as its president, went into the vote revered by some as the beautiful game's 'Jesus' and scorned by others as a rogue clinging to power.

Blatter received 133 votes in the first round to Prince Ali's 77, but it wasn't enough for a two-thirds majority. Prince Ali withdrew before the voting began for second round. This meant, Swiss Sepp Blatter, 79, elected FIFA president for the fifth time.

Before the election started, both men gave final speeches just before the vote.

Blatter said he would guide FIFA through the "storm" caused by the investigations.

"You know who you are dealing with. I also know that I can count on you," Blatter said. "I am with you. I would just like to stay with you. It is a matter of trust." Leading up to the election, Blatter refused calls to resign after FIFA was targeted by U.S. and Swiss authorities in separate corruption investigations.

Earlier Friday, Blatter spoke at the FIFA congress and said the crisis stems from the decision to award Russia and Qatar the next two World Cup tournaments. In 2010, Russia was chosen to host the 2018 World Cup and Qatar was awarded the 2022 tournament amid widespread allegations of wrongdoing.

"If two other countries had emerged from the envelope, I think we would not have these problems today," Blatter said. "But we can't go back in time. We are not prophets. We can't say what would have happened."

The United States was one of the losing bidders for the 2022 World Cup. On Wednesday, US authorities indicted 14 people on bribery, racketeering, fraud and money-laundering charges going back to the 1990s.

Seven of the officials -- including two serving FIFA vice presidents -- were arrested in Zurich on Wednesday ahead of the congress.

"I am not going to use the word coincidence but I do have a small question mark," Blatter said about the timing of the raid. 

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