Prince Ali: Michel Platini is 'not good for FIFA'
Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan says that UEFA president Michel Platini's decision to run for FIFA president is “not good for FIFA.”
Platini confirmed his intentions on Wednesday to run in the election to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA's president. He says he will work tirelessly “in the interests of football.”
Prince Ali lost in May's election to Blatter after withdrawing following the first round of voting. The United States voted for Prince Ali in the election.
But just days later, Blatter said he would step down from his post after nearly two decades in charge of FIFA.
Prince Ali says that soccer fans deserve better than what Platini can offer, even after the two met last week to discuss the FIFA election.
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“Platini is not good for FIFA,” Prince Ali said in a statement. “Football's fans and players deserve better. FIFA is engulfed in scandal. We must stop doing business as usual. The practice of back-room, under-the-table deals must end.”
Prince Ali has not said if he intends to run again, and adds that he would be consulting with the football federations soon “about what is in the best interests of football.”
“What is clear is that FIFA needs new, independent leadership, untainted by the practices of the past,” he said.
Blatter is reportedly under investigation for bribery and racketeering by several U.S. federal agencies. He has been linked to officials taking bribes in efforts to secure lucrative broadcast rights and hosting votes for international tournaments.
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Blatter was not one of 14 officials who in May were indicted and charged with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies by the United States Department of Justice, which accused FIFA of decades of "rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted" corruption by members of world soccer's governing body.
FIFA’s executive committee will meet in Zurich on Feb. 26, 2016 to vote on replacing Blatter, and candidates have until Oct. 26 to be nominated by five national federations.
Prince Ali told the The New York Times earlier this year that FIFA needs stability in order to move forward.
“We don’t want an executive president," he said. "We want to get to a day when people don’t even know who the president of FIFA is. When that happens, we will know that the organization is being run the right way and with the right priorities.”
