FIFA looking for a saviour
Amidst electoral chaos in European countries, it now is FIFA’s turn. On 28-29 May, the FIFA 66th Ordinary Congress will be called to elect a new FIFA president, or otherwise a saviour for football’s governing body. FIFA (or the Fédération Internationale de Football Association) has been plagued by numerous scandals over the last year; the Qatar 2022 World Cup bid bribery scandal is just the tip of the iceberg for the organization that is based at a pristine location just outside the Swiss city of Zurich. FIFA’s reputation has been severely shaken in recent years. Four men, four exceptional personalities in the field will run in May with the goal of becoming FIFA’s saviour. In this special ΚΥΠRIS feature, we run the rule over Joseph S. Blatter, HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, Luís Figo and Michael van Praag, the candidates for the 2015 FIFA presidential election.
The first and most obvious candidate is Switzerland’s Joseph S. Blatter. The now 78-year-old has been at the helm for almost 17 years after succeeding João Havelange in 1998. Blatter has won four consecutive elections at FIFA and is aiming for a fifth term, which would take him well into his eighties. However, the Valais native is far from the most loved man at FIFA. He and his Executive Committee (or casually ExCo) colleagues have repeatedly been accused of corruption, while there have also been notions of the 78-year-old holding a disregarding stance towards women in football. Blatter is second to none in terms of FIFA experience, but the call for change has never been louder. The question beckons though: does the competition have what it takes to stand up to the current boss?
The first rival to Blatter, and the youngest in the running, is 39-year old Ali bin Al-Hussein, Prince of Jordan. Although just 39, the Jordanian Prince is well-versed in FIFA procedures having been a FIFA Vice President since 2011. He is widely known as a strong advocate for transparency in FIFA’s proceedings, and was one of the front-runners in the effort to make the Garcia Report into allegations of corruption. Prince Ali definitely is an interesting proposition for world football, but one might think that he’s entered the running too early. Others might think that he’s come into the mix at the right time: not too inexperienced, but not a veteran either, and thus still untarnished.
The third candidate is a former world football superstar. Former Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan ace Luís Figo is in the running for the position of the president of FIFA. An emblematic figure for both Portugal and his club sides, Figo seems like the real deal. At 42 years of age, he brings the fresh approach many are crying out for, and his candidacy launch event at Wembley clearly impressed. Yet there are still certain doubts regarding his appeal. Although generally respected, Figo remains a controversial figure in Europe. Since making the move from Barcelona to Real Madrid in 2000, Figo has had a particularly abrasive attitude against the Catalans. With Barcelona already feeling the effects of a transfer ban regarding foul practices in the transfer of minors, Figo coming to power will probably mean that one of the world’s most powerful clubs will be in all-out with the federation.
Last but not least is Dutch sports director Michael van Praag. Although little known to the public, van Praag boasts a particularly impressive CV full of successes in the Netherlands. He had been chairman of the most successful club in the Netherlands, Ajax between 1978 and 2003, heading to its last Champions League title in 1995. He assumed the role of the chairman of the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) in 2008, and during his time as chairman, the Dutch national side has managed to reach the World Cup semi-finals on two consecutive occasions (2010, 2014). Van Praag has kept a low profile since announcing his candidacy, yet he appears as a strong outsider to take over Blatter. Although he doesn’t boast the FIFA experience Al-Hussein and Blatter have, van Praag has vast experience in football administration. At 68, he is certainly more fit than Blatter for a lengthy term, and comes from a school of thought that is universally admired in footballing terms. Whether he can upset Blatter though, is something that remains to be seen.
