By Andrew Warshaw
March 29 – The war of words between FIFA President Sepp Blatter and his main challenger Mohamed Bin Hammam has started with a vengeance ahead of the election, with the Qatari claiming Blatter is personally responsible for the unpopularity of the world governing body.
Bin Hammam was once a loyal supporter of Blatter and helped run his 1998 campaign, but such is the sinister world of football politics that the pair will now be in opposition on June 1.
In the most recent entry on his personal website, the Asian Football chief said his visit to the UEFA Congress in Paris last week had convinced him there should be a change at the top of FIFA.
Bin Hammam, who gave a series of interviews as he launched his media campaign in the French capital, also used the occasion to lobby the 53 European federations.
The 61-year-old said: “The trip to Paris has given me a growing sense that more and more people within the game are eager to see change in FIFA.
“Unfortunately, from what I can see, people have been judging the entire organisation by the unpopularity of its President.
“Hopefully we will be able to change that and turn FIFA into an organisation we can all be proud of once again.”
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