FIFA reputation faces more risk as Blatter seeks re-election

RIO DE JANEIRO — The future is looking a lot like the past for soccer’s global leadership, and another messy election campaign could damage the image of the sport’s governing body.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter is running for a fifth term, and has support from regional governing bodies in Asia, Africa and South America as the other announced candidates struggle for traction. Previous presidential elections have taken place amid accusations of negative campaigning and improper payments.

“The last thing that football needs is to have a bad campaign,” Marios Lefkaritis, a member of the FIFA executive committee since 2007, said by phone from Cyprus. “It’s already damaged enough.”

While Blatter has increased income by more than 100 percent during his 17-year tenure, the 78-year-old has been in charge as FIFA faced questions over possible bribery during the selection of Russia and Qatar to host the next pair of World Cups. Two members couldn’t vote because of allegations that they were willing to sell their support and several others have been accused of wrongdoing.

Blatter, who had pledged not to run again after the 2011 vote when his only challenger quit amid bribery allegations, is one of six declared candidates so far. Nominations close tomorrow (Jan 29) and possible rivals include Prince Ali Bin Hussein of Jordan, a FIFA vice president, and former aide Jerome Champagne. Michael van Praag, head of the Dutch soccer federation, this week said he would seek the job.

FIGO’S PLAN

Luis Figo, a two-time world player of the year who played with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan, told CNN today that he plans to run. Former French soccer player David Ginola is being paid 250,000 pounds (US$513,590) by a bookmaker to run but has yet to receive any backing.

FIFA has made changes to how it is governed while leaving Blatter at the helm, prompting criticism from some sponsors, fans, players and administrators.

Michael Garcia, a former US attorney hired by the governing body to investigate the choice of Qatar and Russia, quit last month citing a “lack of leadership” at FIFA. Its media office declined to comment on the criticism. Blatter hasn’t named an external spokesman and under election regulations he’s unable to use FIFA staff for his campaign.

FIFA HEADLINES

Ali, at 39 the youngest member of FIFA’s board, announced his candidacy earlier this month. He won backing from European soccer head Michel Platini, who said in August he wouldn’t challenge Blatter. The Arab royal’s term ends at FIFA’s Congress.

“The world’s game deserves a world-class governing body — a service organization and a model of ethics, transparency and good governance,” Ali wrote on Jan 6. “The headlines should be about football, the beautiful sport, not about FIFA.”

Champagne, 56, said in a Jan 19 statement he had yet to secure enough support to get on the presidential ballot. He announced his candidacy a year ago.

Van Praag said he would submit his nomination papers to FIFA before the deadline.

“It is about time that the organisation is normalised and that its full focus is back on football,” he said in an e-mailed statement.

FIFA has updated its regulations since the last presidential election. Now candidates need the backing of at least five of the world’s 209 soccer associations, need to have played an “active role” in soccer for two of the last five years and face integrity checks.

MAY CONGRESS

The members will vote at FIFA’s congress starting May 28 in Zurich. Candidates need a two-thirds majority for a first-round victory. A simple majority is needed in subsequent rounds.

“I would expect that all candidates respect the importance of the FIFA presidency when they’re campaigning because that’s important for the reputation of FIFA,” said Domenico Scala, the chairman of FIFA’s audit and compliance committee.

Blatter is the favorite, getting the backing of several regional governing bodies before the start of the World Cup in Brazil last year. The heads of the English and Dutch federations told him it was time to step down during a meeting with European officials at Sao Paulo’s Renaissance Hotel.

FIRST CAMPAIGN

Blatter, a former FIFA general secretary, replaced Joao Havelange, a Brazilian who led the soccer body for 24 years. Havelange resigned as honorary president in 2013 after FIFA said he was among officials who took bribes from a defunct marketing partner.

FIFA gets more than 80 per cent of its revenue from commercial and broadcasting rights to the World Cup, sport’s most-watched event. With Blatter in charge, revenue rocketed to US$4.15 billion in the four years culminating with the 2014 tournament in Brazil from US$307.8 million in 1995-98.

Blatter won his first term over former European soccer head Lennart Johansson in an election marred by accusations that envelopes of cash were delivered to members’ hotel rooms on the eve of the vote.

“It’s not easy to change somewhere where people started by saying you have bought votes in your first election,” Blatter said in 2011.

PREVIOUS ELECTIONS

In 2002, Blatter beat Africa’s Issa Hayatou, and in 2011, overcame Mohamed bin Hammam, a former ally. The ex-Asian soccer president quit days before a final vote after being accused of traveling to the Caribbean with US$1 million to bribe voters to pick him ahead of Blatter. Bin Hammam has since been banned for life from soccer.

“For FIFA’s reputation it is highly, highly important” the election is run cleanly, said Jim Boyce, a Briton who’s leaving his post as a FIFA vice president after the ballot. “It’s entirely up to the members of FIFA who have got a vote. You have now got hopefully a very well-qualified challenger to Sepp Blatter so let’s see what happens.” BLOOMBERG