October 7 – Franz Beckenbauer has once again backed Tokyo Sexwale as an ideal candidate for the FIFA presidency to succeed Sepp Blatter and says the German FA would support him if he decides to stand by the October 26 deadline.
The South African former anti-apartheid activist has not yet made up his mind but speaking at his own annual Camp Beckenbauer sports conference in Austria, ‘Der Kaiser’ told his audience: “I certainly believe that the German Football Association would support his candidacy.”
As a former FIFA executive committee member, Beckenbauer is still influential in football circles and Sexwale, a good friend, has been a guest speaker in Kitzbuhel.
The South African businessman’s host said he would be a good option because of his background in politics and that it was time for change at FIFA.
“At some point there will be the opportunity to appoint a president from an external source – someone from economics, someone from politics,” said Beckenbauer. “That is why I refer to Tokyo because he is someone different, who has a political past, but he also knows his way around sport. He has the smell of neutrality and that’s why I think he would be a good solution.”
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