CRI听力:FIFA Announces Date for Election of Sepp Blatter's Successor

FIFA is going to hold a presidential election on February 26th, giving Sepp Blatter seven more months in power before leaving the scandal-tainted governing body.

The date was chosen by FIFA's executive committee on Monday.

Blatter says he is looking forward to learning who is going to be the next president.

"And one of these important decisions, it's already known all around the world is that we have approved the date of the Extraordinary Elective Congress, which shall be organized in Zurich and it will be next year, 2016 on 26 February and there a new president of FIFA will be elected. Naturally I'm keen to know who will be the next president."

The 79-year-old announced plans to resign four days following his re-election in May amid American and Swiss criminal investigations into corruption.

He also says FIFA will set up an 11-man taskforce to propose reforms to clean itself up after a series of scandals.

"And we have decided to have a task force; 11 people. Ten players and a coach, but the coach is a playing coach. He will be an independent personality. We will decide together with the presidents of the confederations who will be this personality to chair the reform task force. I would say these are, I don't know if I can say, it's the intelligent 11 or it's the 11th of intelligence."

FIFA's 209 members are expected to return to Zurich next year to select a new president almost nine months after Blatter's resignation statement.

Potential contenders include UEFA President Michel Platini and Prince Ali bin al-Hussein.

According to FIFA statutes, candidates need to have the written support of five member associations to stand and must announce their intention to run four months ahead of a vote.

That means October 26 is set to be the deadline for the nominations.

For CRI, I'm Luo Bin.