Prince Ali predicts 'catastrophe' for FIFA if he fails to succeed Sepp Blatter as President

Candidate: Prince Ali believes he can restore FIFA's damaged reputation
Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images
Sam Long5 January 2016

FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali of Jordan has claimed that it will be a "catastrophe" for world football if he does not win the race to succeed Sepp Blatter.

Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein insists he is the only one of the five candidates who can restore FIFA's reputation and will this week embark on a series of meetings to try to convince England, the other home nations and Ireland, of his credentials.

The prince, who condemned Blatter and Michel Platini as "totally irresponsible" over the £1.3million payment that led to eight-year bans for the pair, said English football has a "moral aspect" that fits in with his approach.

Prince Ali launched his new manifesto in London ahead of the presidential election on February 26, and announced that he wants to bring in tougher new rules on World Cup bidding, similar to that used by the International Olympic Committee.

He told a press briefing: "It would a catastrophe for the organisation if things do not go the right way. This election in February is the last chance to get it right.

"Having talked to national associations across the world they do recognise that this is an incredibly important moment in the future of the organisation.

"I am seeking the support of the FA as well as the home nations. I think that's critical. There is a moral aspect to English football and the positions they have taken in the past. I really would be keen on getting their support.

"The important thing is what England stands for right now. I think that in the past sometimes there was a feeling what England says - or at least that's what was portrayed by others - that is somehow bullying. And that's not the case at all. People around the world respect England and English football in particular. They are fans of the Premier League.

"They want to know that England cares about the future of FIFA and that's very critical in how they will go in the future."

Prince Ali is due to meet FA chairman Greg Dyke as well as representatives from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland before flying to Dublin.

In his first response to the latest FIFA scandal which has seen Blatter and Platini banned for a £1.3million payment made to the Frenchman in 2011 following an oral agreement between the pair 13 years previously, Prince Ali added: "Everything has to be on the books. In this day and age to have an oral agreement is totally irresponsible.

FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images

"Regardless of what happened, the main issue is how business is conducted and it has to be open and it has to be accountable - including the full disclosure of the salary of the president and the executive committee."

He also said national associations felt more free to express themselves following Blatter's suspension from the world governing body.

Prince Ali added that he would be a hands-on president - in contrast to the favourite in the election race, Asian football president Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, who has said he would be a 'non-executive president'.

"You have to be a hands-on president, with a proper CEO, you do need to have proper leadership and somebody who takes responsibility which we have not seen in the past," Prince Ali added.

In terms of World Cup bidding, Prince Ali pledged to change the system to stop bidding nations offering incentives to voting members.

He said: "We don't want to make the same mistakes we had in the past. I don't think it is correct for example for executive committee members to travel to [bidding] nations.

"We have to have a total review of how things are conducted and I will be looking at the model the IOC (International Olympic Committee) has. It has to be decided based on evaluations of bids based on recommendations of professionals and that's the way to remove problems we have had in the past."

The other candidates in the election are Jerome Champagne, a former FIFA deputy general secretary from France, South Africa's Tokyo Sexwale and UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino.

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