Argentina legend Diego Maradona wants to fight the 'mafia' responsible for the corruption scandal that has rocked FIFA - but he stopped short of saying he wants to be the next president of world football's governing body.
UEFA chief Michel Platini is favourite for the post after Sepp Blatter announced he would be leaving earlier this summer.
'I have to fight the mafia that still remains inside FIFA. I have to fight those who have for a long time stolen from inside FIFA,' Maradona told local television channel America.
Asked whether he would run for the FIFA presidency, the 54-year old replied ambiguously: 'I really want to be in FIFA.'
Diego Maradona has pledged to take on the 'mafia' running football's world governing body FIFA
Maradona helped Argentina win the World Cup back in 1986. They beat West Germany 3-2 in the final
Maradona, seen here meeting Pope Francis last year, stopped short of suggesting he would run for president
In late May, federal prosecutors in New York indicted nine football officials, most of whom held or had held FIFA positions, and five sports media and promotions executives in schemes involving $150million (£96m) in bribes over a period of 24 years.
Prosecutors said their investigation exposed complex money-laundering schemes, millions of dollars in untaxed income and tens of millions of dollars in offshore accounts held by the officials.
Maradona has launched scathing attacks on the ruling elite of FIFA, and in particular Blatter, who announced in June that he was quitting over the bribery scandal.
Blatter was not charged by US justice officials and denies any misconduct.
Current FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced he would step down following the recent corruption scandal
Michel Platini, the current chief of European governing body UEFA, is to run for the FIFA Presidency
Blatter broke cover to attend the Russia 2018 World Cup draw last weekend alongside President Putin
Maradona has long accused Blatter of running FIFA like a criminal organisation and expressed delight in seeing US authorities hitting several of FIFA's top former and current officials with corruption charges.
He used to bemoan that his warnings were being ignored.
'Now in my favour, I am walking in step with the yanquis,' Maradona said in the interview, using Latin American slang for Americans. 'And these yanquis are serious'.
Maradona was one of soccer's most gifted players and led Argentina to a World Cup victory in 1986. But his dazzling career was blighted in later years by drug addiction, alcoholism and controversial incidents both on and off the field.
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