By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
May 28 – Britain’s incoming FIFA vice-president David Gill will refuse to take up his new position if Sepp Blatter is re-elected FIFA president on Friday in the latest startling development to envelop world football’s governing body.
A clearly exasperated Gill announced his decision to UEFA’s 54 member nations on the eve of the election following two days which has seen seven FIFA officials arrested in Zurich and 18 individuals indicted by US authorities on corruption charges.
The former Manchester United chief executive was only elected two months ago for a four-year term but never really fancied the position, had to be persuaded to take it in succession to Jim Boyce and now says the current crisis engulfing the world governing body made it impossible for him to serve under Blatter.
“I was delighted when the UEFA countries voted me in,” said Gill who was to replace Boyce at Friday’s FIFA Congress. “Over the months they persuaded me that we could affect change from within. Perhaps naively I thought we could. What has changed my mind? Seismic events yesterday. I recognise and realise that to be on that body (executive committee) would be futile and I don’t think that’s right for me and more importantly I don’t think it’s right for football and UEFA. Yesterday’s events tipped me over the edge.”
Gill, 57, said he would be “delighted” to work with Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, Blatter’s sole opponent: “In Prince Ali we have a very credible and very plausible candidate who can take FIFA forward. To be a vice-president of FIFA would be an honour, but not what we have.
“For president Blatter not to withdraw and resign based on what happened yesterday is, to me, indicative of the problem. Look at the charge sheet handed down yesterday (in the USA). It was enormous. There’s no way the president of many, many years can just ignore that. It’s on his watch. The game is more important. I think it is important to note that yesterday wasn’t the finish. The attorney general in the States said that this was the start.
“That is why it was appropriate and right that president Blatter resign. He disagrees. And clearly that is his prerogative but I have to take a decision based on me.”
Gill will certainly court controversy by not taking up the post and fighting his corner from within. UEFA president Michel Platini told reporters he would try and persuade Gill to stay on at least until an emergency session of European members in Berlin in June 6. Platini said UEFA needed someone of Gill’s measured experience. “I brought David in, I said England had to be in FIFA. He has eight days to decide,” said Platini.
But asked if he would walk away if Blatter retained his position, Gill said: “Yes, I’ve been clear about that. I will not attend the (new-look) executive committee meeting on Saturday. I will not attend a meeting with president Blatter still in charge.”
“Nobody can tell me what happened wasn’t seismic for the world of football and, based on that, if he (Blatter) couldn’t see the enormity of what happened, he should resign. World football is crying out for a new leader. To have a nice party and clap and cheer and slap each other on the back and life goes on, that struck me as showing how futile it is. Although Blatter has not been implicated, he oversaw the ship.”
If Gill sticks to his guns, the seat will now go to another British candidate, most likely from Wales who missed out last time amid accusations of Big Brother tactics.
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