Fifa president Sepp Blatter was forced to halt a news conference when UK prankster Simon Brodkin – whose stage name is Lee Nelson – threw a pile of banknotes at him saying, “here you go, Sepp”.
Brodkin is known for his pranks and interrupted Kanye West’s Glastonbury set last month and tried to join the England squad as they boarded the plane for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
He also attempted to warm up with Manchester City players before a Premier League match against Everton in 2013.
Shortly after interrupting the Fifa conference, he posted a message from the Twitter account of another alter ago – Jason Bent – saying: “Excited to be at Fifa meeting Sepp Blatter to secure the #NorthKorea2026 World Cup.”
PLATINI SET TO STAND FOR FIFA PRESIDENCY:
Michel Platini could announce as early as this week that he will stand for FIFA president after receiving backing from four out of the six confederations.
The 60-year-old UEFA president has yet to make a final decision but sources say Asia has swung behind Europe, South America and CONCACAF in supporting Platini to succeed Sepp Blatter.
The election to select a new president of governing body FIFA will be held on February 26 in Zurich.
Platini held talks in Zurich on Sunday night with Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, and as significantly with Kuwait’s FIFA executive member Sheikh Ahmad Al Sabah of Kuwait.
Both men are key to the Frenchman’s chances of success – Al Sabah is viewed as the most important powerbroker in the International Olympic Committee and together with Salman should be able to swing 46 countries behind him, enough to secure a majority.
Platini has long-held links with Kuwait – in 1988 at the invitation of the Emir of Kuwait he came out of retirement to make a guest appearance for the Arabic country in an exhibition match against the USSR, playing 21 minutes.
Platini’s decision will rest on his personal feelings – he has in the past questioned whether he wants to give up his involvement with UEFA, and its influence over European football, in exchange for FIFA.
Platini would be the clear favourite for FIFA however, and were he to win then Germany’s Wolfgang Niersbach would be a likely successor for the UEFA presidency.
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