FIFA president Sepp Blatter's former right-hand man Jerome Champagne is set to launch a bid to succeed his ex-boss as the most powerful man in world soccer after inviting the world's media to a Monday news conference in London.

Although the 55-year-old Frenchman refused to confirm that the event was to announce his bid, sources in Switzerland, where FIFA is based, left little doubt.

Blatter, who turns 78 in March, has hinted he might stand again in next year's elections, while UEFA president Michel Platini has also been widely tipped to challenge.

Champagne, FIFA's deputy secretary-general from 2002 until 2005, has been working as an international soccer consultant in troubled regions such as Kosovo, Palestine and Cyprus since leaving the organization in 2010.

He sent an e-mail to the world's media on Friday inviting them to a news conference, but would not elaborate on his plans.

"I cannot stop the speculation because there has been speculation about me for the last two years since I published my document regarding the future of FIFA and the globalization of the game," Champagne said.

"It is a free world and you cannot stop people having an opinion, but I do not wish to say more until I speak in London on Monday."

A FIFA spokesman said the governing body had no comment to make on the issue.

In 2012 Champagne's 20,000-word "What FIFA for the 21st century?" document outlined some far-sighted views, while building on FIFA's traditional strengths.

Central to his thinking are plans to expand the FIFA executive committee, bringing national FA's into the seat of governance and making FIFA more open.

Blatter has been president since 1998 and was close to Champagne during his time at FIFA. Blatter has not yet confirmed whether he is standing for a fifth term of office when the elections are held in Zurich in 18 months' time.

FIFA, comprising 209 member nations, organizes the world's most popular sport but under Blatter's long presidency has suffered a series of crises focused around financial scandals and mismanagement.

Champagne was at FIFA during many of Blatter's woes but was forced out of the organization after political infighting six months before the World Cup started in South Africa in 2010.

Blatter, who has won three elections and also been acclaimed as president without any opposition once, is only the eighth president in the organization's 110-year history.

(China Daily 01/19/2014 page11)