“Man muss jetzt schauen, wie man ihn loswird,” said Joseph Blatter.
The former FIFA president criticized his successor Gianni Infantino sharply in an interview with Der Spiegel, arguing that UEFA will soon name a challenger for the upcoming election.
Blatter called the incumbent a dictator and suggested he should be sent to a psychiatric hospital.
The application deadline for the FIFA presidency closes on November 18.
European football leaders are planning to put forward a rival candidate before the vote at the FIFA Congress on March 18 in Rabat, Morocco, according to Blatter.
“There is a plan by UEFA, next week they will name an opposing candidate,” the 90-year-old said.
Arsène Wenger has emerged as a possible challenger for the role, with a decision from the 77-year-old Frenchman expected by German Press Agency sources.
Kozo Tashima, a member of the FIFA Council from Japan, is the only official applicant so far but holds no realistic chance of winning.
Blatter also suggested Sebastian Coe, the president of World Athletics and a former chair of the FIFA Ethics Committee, as a strong candidate from England.
Infantino secured pre-election pledges from national associations across Africa, Asia, and South America to cement a voting majority.
Blatter claimed that Infantino traveled to Asia and promised money to member federations until the head of the Asian confederation endorsed his campaign.
“He is campaigning at the expense of FIFA,” Blatter said.
Blatter stated that Infantino’s recent interactions with political figures have altered his approach to running the sport.
“The meeting with Donald Trump changed Gianni Infantino,” Blatter stated.
Blatter urged structural changes to limit the absolute power of future FIFA presidents, arguing the organization should function more like a corporation.
“Possibly he should only represent,” Blatter said of the presidential role.
The next FIFA presidential election takes place on March 18 at the congress in Rabat.
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