Footballers’ union FIFPro has published four “vital criteria” it believes the next FIFA president must meet if the game’s governing body is to repair its reputation according to sky sports.
The global body has said Sepp Blatter’s replacement must meet certain standards if football is to “climb out of the toxic pit which continues to produce serious accusations of corrupt behaviour on almost a daily basis.”
FIFPro said the new FIFA president must have a proven capacity to drive reform of a democratic and politically complex global body; a governance record; a human rights record; and an understanding of the game as a sport and business.
FIFPro’s vision to address FIFA and its tainted Presidential election campaign. More here: https://t.co/TQOHWPMxks pic.twitter.com/QxuZAiUXQN
— FIFPro (@FIFPro) October 23, 2015
Asian football boss Sheik Salman al-Khalifa’s potential candidacy will be controversial given a number of questions he faces about human rights abuses in his native Bahrain, specifically related to the pro-democracy uprising in 2011. Salman though has denied the allegations.
Another candidate in question is UEFA president Michel Platini who is determined to stand despite currently being suspended as FIFA investigates a £1.35 million payment he received from Blatter in 2011. The Frenchman submitted his candidacy prior to the suspension and it will be reconsidered if he is reinstated prior to the vote in February.
Other candidates expected to stand include former FIFA vice-president Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, former Trinidad and Tobago player David Nakhid and onetime FIFA international relations director Jerome Champagne.
The emergency FIFA presidential election will be held on 26 February 2016.