Bin Hammam, 61, who will meet the Football Association next month as part of his campaign, has promised more transparency in FIFA, open voting for World Cup bidding, and to limit the presidency to eight years.

Bin Hammam told Press Association Sport: “I was a supporter of Blatter and I have never regretted anything about that – he has contributed a lot for the development of the game.

“But he has been there a long time in that position. There must be the question: Mr President – when is it enough?

“I will limit myself to a maximum of eight years. If I am elected I will bring the proposal back so that the president of FIFA remains only for eight years.

“Mr Blatter came wanting eight years, two mandates, then 12 years and three mandates, and now four mandates and actually nothing is changing in the last three or four years.

“I am not saying I am the Godfather of football but I don’t see anything moving, anything changing.

“Most of what we are seeing and hearing is criticism from outside towards FIFA and most of the time I don’t think it’s fair.”

Bin Hammam faces an uphill struggle to win votes in UEFA, many of whom would prefer Blatter to keep the seat warm for Michel Platini to take over in 2015, and up until today he had not even gained the backing of the FA from his own country Qatar.

The FA may provide high-profile backing though – senior figures in the organisation are pushing for them to officially back Bin Hammam though no decision will be made until a board meeting next month. The challenger insists he would not change the four British associations’ privilege of having their own FIFA vice-president.

“No, I will not change that,” he said. “I enjoy a very good relationship with the FA and the Premier League and I am planning to meet them next month.”