By Andrew Warshaw
November 2 – Luis Figo, who bid for the FIFA presidency last time round until withdrawing before the ballot, has given his backing to UEFA stand-in candidate Gianni Infantino for the February 26 vote.
Infantino is unlikely to stay in the race if the suspended Michel Platini is cleared in time to run but Figo, the former world footballer of the year, says the UEFA general secretary is the best man for the job.
“His experience, competence, capacity for work and his honesty make him the best candidate for the presidency,” said Figo. “Gianni represents a new generation of leaders who put football first.”
“He has a new style, a new approach to a procedure in need of transparency and an ideas debate instead of political manoeuvering and personal attacks.”
“I have known him for some years and we had the opportunity to exchange a lot of thoughts when I was a candidate myself. We share the same vision and have several projects and ideas in common.”
Figo did not mention Platini but is clearly towing the UEFA party line to get behind Europe’s plan B candidate among the seven contenders.
Both the UEFA boss and outgoing FIFA president Sepp Blatter are currently suspended from all football-related activities while a suspect SFr2 million payment Platini received from Blatter on behalf of FIFA in 2011 is investigated.
“Gianni has a track record of dealing with the big challenges but also caring for the smaller associations’ difficulties and projects,” Figo said on his Facebook page. “He won’t let football down.”
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