IS SEPTIC SEPP COMING BACK?

World football’s worst nightmare raised its head yesterday — Sepp Blatter standing again for the FIFA presidency.

This ridiculous scenario has been painted by a Swiss newspaper who reported that Blatter is reconsidering his decision to quit after receiving strong messages of support from the African and Asian confederations.

Schweiz am Sonntag, citing an anonymous source close to Blatter, said the FIFA boss was delighted by the backing a nd has not r ul e d out remaining in office.

That source is believed to be Klaus Stohlker, 74-year- old veteran Swiss Pr boss who has been a long-time friend of Blatter.

Stohlker is also believed to have put forward the theory that FIFA director of communications Walter de Gregorio quit l ast week because of Blatter’s renewed interest in the presidency. But the FIFA compliance chief dominic Scala, Blatter’s camp and his own f amily i mmediately dismissed the possibility.

Blatter ( above) s ai d a fortnight ago that he would step down as president in the wake of the biggest corruption scandal in football history.

Scala, the official overseeing the process of choosing a new president, said that Blatter’s departure was an ‘indispensable’ part of planned reforms.

Scala said: ‘ For me, the reforms are the central topic. That i s why I think it is clearly indispensable to follow through with the initiated process of president’s change as has been announced.’

And one of the reforms Scala has recommended, as well as greater financial transparency and a new governance structure, is a maximum of three f our- year terms f or both t he president and FIFA executive committee members. Blatter has already been ruling world football for 17 years.

But Blatter has famously changed his mind in the past. When he began his fourth term in 2011, he said it would be his last, but he stood again and was re-elected on May 29. Four days later he resigned.

FIFA are expected to pick his replacement between december and February, with the exact date being decided by an executive committee meeting on July 20.