Possible FIFA candidate Chung flies to Europe

South Korea’s Chung Mong-Joon, a former FIFA vice president and possible candidate to replace Sepp Blatter, flew to Germany on Friday for talks on the future of world football’s crisis-ridden governing body.

Chung, a billionaire scion of Korea’s Hyundai group, said he would meet Michel Platini, head of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), and other international football figures in Berlin for the Champions League final.

Chung wants to “exchange opinions on how to reform FIFA,” a brief statement published on his website said.

On Wednesday Chung had said he was considering joining the race to replace Blatter, the long-time FIFA president who has announced his resignation over a corruption storm.

Blatter is to remain in office until an election is held, sometime between December this year and March 2016.

A long-time critic of Blatter, Chung had previously hinted at contesting the FIFA presidency in 2011. But he stepped back after losing his own position on the FIFA executive board to Prince Ali bin al Hussein of Jordan.

This time around, he is on an unofficial candidate shortlist that includes Platini and Prince Ali, as well as football greats like Brazil’s Zico and Portugal’s Luis Figo.

Chung could prove a genuine candidate as he retains enormous influence within Asian football and certainly has the financial clout to run a strong campaign.

“This is an extremely difficult time for FIFA,” Chung told reporters before boarding his flight to Berlin.

“I will speak to UEFA President Michel Platini about the current state of affairs at FIFA and what should be done,” he was quoted as saying by the Yonhap news agency.