By Andrew Warshaw
October 16 – The FIFA presidential race has taken another decisive twist with Asian football chief Sheik Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa staging a u-turn to stand to take over from Sepp Blatter in February. The Bahraini had originally given his backing to Michel Platini but has taken a timely strategic gamble to run himself following Platini’s suspension and the likelihood that Europe will have no other credible candidate who Asia could get behind.
Sources close to Sheikh Salman have told Insideworldfootball that he could announce his candidacy either over the weekend or around Tuesday’s emergency meeting of the FIFA executive committee in Zurich to discuss Blatter’s own 90-day suspension and whether to delay the election as a result of the ongoing crisis.
Sheikh Salman entering the race will not only be a serious blow to Platini’s hopes – the UEFA president would anyway need to be cleared of wrongdoing over the SFr2 million payment to him from Blatter in 2011 – but also to Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan who faces the likelihood of becoming the first person to lose two FIFA presidential elections having been beaten by Blatter in May.
Salman, who commands the majority Asian vote, is understood to have closely monitored developments at a meeting of UEFA’s top brass yesterday where, despite attempts to put on a collective show of strength in favour of Platini, it is understood some associations broke rank after still being concerned by the lack of a written contract for the allegedly rogue payment between Platini and Blatter which led to them both being provisionally banned pending the outcome of a full investigation.
UEFA’s members issued a joint statement calling for a “rapid decision” by mid-November on Platini’s appeal and technically left the door open for a back-up contender to declare before the October 26 and become Europe’s substitute candidate if Platini is unable to clear his name. Instead, however, it seems European hopes of running FIFA will be crushed by Salman’s decision to run.
Gianni Infantino, UEFA’s general secretary, provided considerable food for thought at yesterday’s eagerly awaited press conference that followed a session of all 54 member countries as well as the executive committee.
Tellingly, UEFA’s statement made it clear they were backing Platini’s “right” to a due process and fair trial, rather than Platini himself. “What happens from now until October 26 will be discussed by UEFA’s representatives in the FIFA exco together with the other confederations,” Infantino said. “Of course, there was a discussion about what if? Should there be a European candidate and so on. “
This could be interpreted as UEFA realising their own man is yesterday’s news and the need to seek the best compromise solution.
What is clear is that any bid by Sheikh Salman would be backed by Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, the most powerful official in Asian sport who has just joined the FIFA executive committee. A key factor for their alliance will be to convince the 209 voting nations that they can bring about root and branch change at FIFA.
Sheikh Salman’s appearance in Zurich early next week has suddenly taken on extra significance. With a heads of confederations meeting scheduled to precede Tuesday’s emergency exco, Salman seems certain to sound out how much backing he might get.
As for Prince Ali, such is the unpredicablity of an ever-developing story that after seeing his chances at first boosted considerably by Platini’s suspension, the Jordanian now seems in grave danger of losing out again.
Not only has he fallen out with UEFA after repeatedly criticising Platini but he now faces taking on Asian football’s main who has already replaced him as a FIFA vice-president and, barring a significant upset, now threatens to undermine his bid to go one better.
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