The Frenchman officially launched his bid in January, however, there were indications he would back out of the running should incumbent President Sepp Blatter run for a fifth term.

During his campaign launch, Champagne refused to comment on his position should the Swiss chief choose to run for another term, while also stating he did not think he could beat Blatter in a Presidential showdown.

With Blatter announcing last week that he would definitely run for another term, despite stating in his 2011 re-election campaign that his fourth term would be his last, Champagne has confirmed he will continue with his bid for the Presidency.

"I have the honour of informing you that I have just written to the FIFA Ad-hoc Electoral Committee and its President, Domenico Scala, to confirm my intention to run for FIFA President," Champagne wrote on his website.

"This confirmation has of course been made in accordance with the current FIFA regulations and in line with the announcement of my candidature of January 20, 2014 in London, in the same location where the Football Association was founded in 1863, the first of the 209 FIFA member associations.

"On a personal level, I am happy that the debate about the future of FIFA and football has finally begun with the prospect of various candidates."

Incumbent FIFA President Sepp Blatter is the only other candidate to have come forward for the 2015 Presidential election race ©Getty Images



Champagne, a former French diplomat, worked at FIFA for 11 years, between 1999 and 2010, being a close ally of Blatter's from 2002 to 2005, where he successfully ran his re-election campaign in 2002 before taking on the role of deputy secretary general of world football's governing body.

Since leaving FIFA in 2010, Champagne has worked as an independent consultant in troubled regions such as Kosovo, Palestine, Israel and Cyprus.

Throughout his campaign the 56-year-old has called for FIFA to be more democratic, more receptive of its 209 member associations and more in touch with the fans.

He has also called for public and televised debates between all Presidential candidates in the wake of the election.

He added: "The 2015 election must not be determined on the basis of individual appeal but on vision and agenda, to which we must commit for the next decade, and the willingness and ability to diligently execute a programme that has been agreed to by the invested parties.

"The next 10 years will be crucial for football and very particularly for FIFA, which is at a crossroads and in need of sweeping changes that must take it further than what has been accomplished to date."

Champagne needs the backing of five FIFA member Football Associations but does not have to disclose who they are until official declarations are made in January.

The election will take place at the FIFA Congress on May 28 and 29 in Zurich.

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