Kick-off for reform looms
Reform is in the air in Zurich this morning – or is it? At 09.30 the FIFA Extraordinary Congress will begin, and at some time this afternoon/early evening we will know which of the five candidates has succeeded the disgraced Sepp Blatter as President of football’s world governing body.
But that’s not all. The 209 member associations will also vote on a package of reforms that promises to end the years of corruption. FIFA says it will emerge from the swamp of sleaze into the brave new world of good citizenship. Of course, not everyone is convinced this will be the case – no matter who or what gets voted in today.
Being FIFA, this election has already been bedeviled by claims of potential fixing and shifty behavior. And that comes from one of the presidential candidates – Prince Ali bin al-Hussein. Having thrown doubt over the number and identities of election observers, Prince Ali then launched a bid to have the election postponed until transparent voting booths could be installed in Zurich’s Hallenstadion.
Prince Ali fears voters will photograph their ballot papers to prove to third parties which way they have voted. On Thursday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) threw out his objection. The vote will go ahead.
For the record, the other four candidates are:
Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa.
UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino – a Swiss-Italian citizen from the same valley as Sepp Blatter
Former Fifa Deputy General Secretary Jerome Champagne
South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale
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