The ManicaPost
FIFA presidential hopeful Gianni Infantino says it is “now or never” for the future of football’s world governing body. Infantino is hoping to succeed Sepp Blatter at Friday’s (today) election after the 79-year-old Swiss was banned for eight years on corruption allegations. Fellow candidate Prince Ali bin al-Hussein has made an official request for the election to be suspended.
But Infantino says it is almost certain to go ahead as planned.
The vote of up to 209 Fifa member federations takes place with the organisation embroiled in a corruption scandal with dozens of senior officials indicted by United States prosecutors.
Blatter and Uefa boss Michel Platini were banned in December from all football-related activities following an ethics investigation.
They were found guilty of breaches surrounding a £1.3m ($2m) “disloyal payment” made to Platini in 2011.
Blatter, who had been in charge of Fifa since 1998, was already stepping down this month, but denies any wrongdoing and has appealed against his ban.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Infantino said Fifa has to implement its reforms quickly if it is to regain its reputation.
“We have all witnessed in the past few months sadly what has happened around Fifa.
Truly the image and reputation of Fifa is at its worst,” said Infantino, who is general secretary of European football’s governing body Uefa.
“Something needs to be done. Reforms need to be implemented.
They need to be voted first and then they have to be implemented.
“If we don’t do something now about it, to restore the image of Fifa and the reputation of Fifa – and to increase the development of football in the world – then I see no future for Fifa.”
Asked if that would mean Fifa could be shut down, Infantino replied: “No, I think football will always exist but as an organisation the way we have lived and perceived Fifa in the past months cannot continue.”
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Damian Collins MP used parliamentary privilege to accuse frontrunner Sheikh Salman of being involved in a “cash for votes” scheme during the 2013 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) election, as well as using development funds to finance an earlier campaign to get on Fifa’s executive committee.
But Sheikh Salman responded, saying he has “no knowledge” of an “inducements offered”, that there was “absolutely no evidence” to back Collins’ claims and that his 2009 campaign had been “funded entirely from his own pocket”.
Collins is an anti-corruption campaigner on football governance.
Infantino is up against:
South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale
Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa
Former Fifa deputy general secretary Jerome Champagne
Fifa vice-president for Asia Prince Ali bin-al-Hussein of Jordan-Online
