Manchester, Sep 7 (IANS) Despite losing to present incumbent Sepp Blatter in May, Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan wants to contest for the post of FIFA president again.
Ali had lost the presidential election by a margin of 133-73 votes to Blatter who then announced that he would relinquish the position four days after FIFA was plunged into its worst crisis following the arrest of several of its officials two days before the election.
World football’s governing body will conduct fresh elections in February to find a successor to Blatter and Ali looks set to become one of the major candidates in the fray.
UEFA president Michel Platini of France and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) vice-president Chung Mong-joon of South Korea have already declared that they will contest the polls.
“I am talking to national associations and listening to their opinions. Right now we need a candidate who is forward thinking, with new ideas who is not tainted by the past as well. If the election is done correctly, cleanly and properly, I believe I can win,” Ali told the Soccerex conference in Manchester on Monday.
The 39-year-old asserted that Blatter was responsible for the corruption crisis in football and accused him of harming the interests of the game.
A total of 14 FIFA officials — including several former executive committee members — have been indicted by US authorities as part of a wide ranging investigation into bribery and financial wrongdoing.
“Blatter should have stepped down a while ago if he had the best interests of football,” Ali said.
The Jordanian also lashed out at Platini although the legendary French midfielder was one of his key supporters before the May elections.
“FIFA is in a crisis right now and we need a new beginning. Michel Platini’s introduction into football governance was as a protege of Sepp Blatter, that’s a reality,” he stated.
