( CNN ) -- Sepp Blatter faced a revolt from leading European football officials Tuesday over his intention to stand for re-election as FIFA president for a fifth four-year term from 2015 . According to UEFA sources , Blatter , 78 , told a meeting of the European football confederation in Sao Paulo that he would be seeking a further mandate . It reverses a pledge made in 2011 that he would not stand again and influential delegates at the meeting openly voiced their opposition to his U-turn . `` The atmosphere was quite tense during and after Blatter 's short speech , '' the sources told CNN . Blatter was directly challenged by Michael Van Praag , president of the Dutch FA , who told him that he should not continue after 2015 in his role . Praag , a member of UEFA 's executive committee , later relayed to gathered reporters outside the meeting what he had told Blatter . `` I then said at the microphone : ' I like you a lot , there is nothing personal here , but the reputation of FIFA is today inextricably linked to corruption . `` FIFA has a president . You are responsible , you should not stand again . '' David Gill , the English FA 's representative on the Exco committee , also called on Blatter to reconsider his decision to seek re-election . `` The very fact in 2011 he was clear it was just for four years , that should have been the situation . To change his mind is disappointing , '' he said . `` I think we need a full , frank and open debate about what FIFA needs going forward , '' he added . Gill 's colleague , English FA chairman Greg Dyke , criticized Blatter in a strongly-worded statement to the meeting . Dyke was angered over Blatter 's reported comments to the African Football Confederation ( CAF ) Monday that allegations of corruption made against the successful Qatar bid for the 2022 World Cup were motivated by racism and discrimination . `` I said to him , ' I regard the comments you made yesterday about allegations in the British media in which you described them as racist as totally unacceptable , '' Dyke told gathered reporters . `` The allegations being made are nothing to do with the racism , they are allegations about corruption . '' Dyke also voiced his disappointment over Blatter 's intention to stand for re-election . `` We accepted four years ago he was going to step down ( in 2015 ) and it 's a surprise he is going to stand again , '' he told Sky Sports News . `` We would like to see an election , a competition and some different candidates , '' added Dyke . The Dutch and British representatives were not alone in expressing their dismay over the leadership of football 's world governing body . According to UEFA sources , four members of its executive committee and its general secretary , Gianni Infantino , openly questioned Blatter 's governance and his ability to lead necessary reforms in briefings to the media . Blatter , who has been president of FIFA since 1998 , will address its 64th Congress meeting Wednesday in Sao Paulo where it is expected he will make public his decision to stand for re-election . The same meeting will also hear from U.S. lawyer Michael Garcia , who has been appointed by FIFA to lead an investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups , awarded to Russia and Qatar . Garcia was given the task of probing allegations of bribery and corruption , but his findings are not due to be made public until mid-July . His investigation has been brought into sharp focus by a series of articles in the British newspaper The Sunday Times on the Qatar bid . The newspaper claims to have unearthed millions of emails and other documentation which allege Qatar 's former FIFA member Mohamed Bin Hammam used a multi-million dollar slush fund to buy support for the bid . The claims have been strenuously denied by Qatar organizers , who in a statement released to CNN Sunday said they had been co-operating fully with Garcia 's investigation . `` We remain totally confident that any objective inquiry will conclude we won the bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup fairly , '' it added . The latest controversies come in the countdown to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil , which will start Thursday in Sao Paulo with a game between the hosts and Croatia .
Sepp Blatter facing calls not to stand for re-election as FIFA president . UEFA chiefs openly oppose his bid for a further term . Blatter 's current four-year term comes to an end in 2015 . Blatter set to state his intentions to FIFA Congress Wednesday .