He’s back. Sepp Blatter is re-elected as FIFA president. Source: AFP

Perhaps that’s because the entire thing is a joke.

Coming across as more of a cheerleader than the global boss of the biggest sport in the world, the controversial Swiss broke into a strange chant after being voted in for yet another four-year term at the helm of football’s governing body.

“Let’s go FIFA!” Blatter said. “Let’s go FIFA!”

FIFA is in the midst of the biggest scandal in its 111-year history.

But the seemingly untouchable Blatter won a fifth term as president in a dramatic end to an angry campaign dominated by a corruption storm that engulfed the sport.

His challenger Prince Ali bin al Hussein withdrew after preventing Blatter from getting the required majority in the first round of voting.

Blatter, who had defied calls to resign, raised his arms in triumph and promised the congress to be the “commander” who “guides this boat FIFA” out of the corruption turmoil.

“I like you, I like my job,” Blatter said.

“I’m not perfect. Nobody is perfect. But we will do a good job together.”

The 79-year-old also indicated he would not stand again saying he would hand over a “strong” FIFA to “my successor” in four years.

He also said that four years ago.

Blatter fell seven votes short of the two thirds majority to win in the first round. He garnered 133 votes to Prince Ali’s 73. The brother of Jordan’s king got further than any challenger to Blatter, highlighting divisions within the scandal-tainted body that Blatter will struggle to overcome.

Watch Sepp’s strange speech in the video player above.

Mr Untouchable, Sepp Blatter. Source: AFP

The prince thanked those “brave enough” to vote for him before announcing he was pulling out.

Australia voted for challengers as did most of Europe’s 53 members and the United States.

But Blatter’s rockbed support in Africa and Asia saw him through to a new term.

The end of the campaign was overshadowed by the arrest in Zurich on Wednesday of seven FIFA officials, including two vice presidents, accused by US authorities of taking tens of millions of dollars in bribes.

Swiss police are also investigating the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar which have also been surrounded by corruption allegations.

In a final plea for votes, Blatter vowed to lead FIFA out of the corruption controversy.

“I promise a strong FIFA, I want to climb back up the hill, arrange FIFA’s situation. I want a beautiful, robust FIFA, out of the storm,” he said.

Prince Ali promised “transparency” and to “restore respect”.

“We have heard questions raised about whether our family is morally bankrupt,” the prince said in his final campaign address.

Blatter questioned the timing of the Zurich arrests so close to the election, declaring: “People say it was a coincidence. But I have a small question mark.”

Blatter said the arrests had unleashed a “storm”. But he repeated his case that he cannot “monitor” football affairs alone and calling for greater action by regional confederations and national associations.

Commercial fallout grew with South Korea’s Hyundai Motors, a major sponsor of FIFA, saying it was “extremely concerned” at the new scandals.

Credit card giant Visa has threatened to “reassess” its sponsorship if FIFA does not clean up its act. Coca-Cola, Adidas, McDonald’s and Budweiser have also spoken out. The United Nations says it is reviewing its cooperation accords with FIFA.

The seven arrested football officials — including FIFA vice presidents Jeffrey Webb and Eugenio Figueredo — remain in custody. Six have indicated they will fight extradition to the United States, Swiss authorities said.

— with AFP