Blatter does not rule out staying beyond February, says confidant

FIFA President Sepp Blatter addresses during the preliminary draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup at Konstantin Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia July 25, 2015. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

ZURICH (Reuters) - Sepp Blatter has not ruled out trying to stay on as FIFA’s president beyond February’s scheduled election, despite facing a criminal investigation and a possible internal ethics probe, a close confidant told Reuters on Tuesday.

The scenario where Blatter would try to stay on appears far-fetched, and an ethics investigation could lead to his suspension from the game before the election even begins.