By Andrew Warshaw
May 20 – Michael van Praag and Luis Figo are reportedly set to withdraw from the FIFA presidential race, leaving Asia’s outgoing FIFA vice-president Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan to go head-to-head with Sepp Blatter next week.
The Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant says van Praag, head of the Dutch FA, has agreed to step aside and may be joined by Figo in a strategic move to try and unseat Blatter.
The three candidates met privately close to UEFA headquarters in Switzerland last week but apparently could not agree on the way forward.
De Volkskrant suggested the opponents of Blatter would hold a news conference in the Netherlands on Thursday though this was not immediately confirmed by any of them – and flatly denied by Figo.
Figo was also quick to deny any suggestion that he planned to quit his campaign, with a spokesman telling Insideworldfootball: “Luis will not attend any press conference about this tomorrow.”
A separate statement from Figo’s team carried by news agencies said: “We reiterate what we said on the first day. Luis is an independent candidate and he will keep being independent. He will not travel to Holland, contrary to what the rumours say.”
This suggested that any press conference could be held by van Praag alone but his office also said no withdrawal would be announced despite recent talks between the three contenders – at least not as quickly as tomorrow.
“We have not planned any press conferences,” said an emailed statement from van Praag’s campaign team.
“We can confirm that there have been planned discussions between the candidates regarding the possibility to join forces. Our shared, collective goal is to achieve change within FIFA – it is good that there is a growing international coalition striving for that goal. That is our main focus now, it is too soon to talk about which candidate might have the biggest chance.”
While Figo’s chances have long been slim given his lack of political experience since ending his illustrious playing career, van Praag, who said from the outset he was only interested in one term as president, is considered by many to have enough gravitas to mount a meaningful challenge.
The withdrawal of at least one candidate before the ballot on Friday next week has long been anticipated. But two pulling out would represent a calculated risk with the prospect of Blatter winning an outright majority first time round (which he might well do anyway even against three opponents) rather than being forced into a second round of voting.
All three contenders are doubtless doing the maths and may still at some point conclude that Prince Ali, with his reformist ideas and network of contacts, has the best chance of upsetting the odds even though his own Asian confederation, or a majority of it, is solidly behind the present incumbent.
In recent weeks, it has become increasingly apparent, as they stepped up the lobbying campaign across the globe, that none of the challengers to Blatter’s throne has been able to swing the momentum their way as each confederation congress, bar that of UEFA, declined them permission to address delegates.
The 79-year-old Swiss would still be odds-on favourite to win a fifth term in the May 29 ballot by gaining the majority support among five of FIFA’s six confederations. But Prince Ali, who has been on FIFA’s executive committee for four years, has long believed he could put up a credible fight and will hope the withdrawal of his two fellow contenders, if true, will work in his favour rather than fall into Blatter’s hands.
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