- Title: SOCCER-FIFA/ALI Prince Ali firms up bid for FIFA presidency
- Date: 10th September 2015
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (SEPTEMBER 10, 2015) (REUTERS) FIFA PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE PRINCE ALI BIN HUSSEIN OF JORDAN ARRIVING FOR TALK ON REFORMING FIFA AT LONDON-BASED INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS THINK TANK CHATHAM HOUSE SIGN READING (English): "CHATHAM HOUSE - THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS" (SOUNDBITE) (English) FIFA PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE PRINCE ALI BIN HUSSEIN OF JORDAN, SAYING: "I stood in Amman yesterday and announced that I would seek election because FIFA was in danger. The future of football in danger and if we do not act now, it may be too late. Without an intact governing body, without a World Cup in which all regions of the world participate, without a brand that is attractive to sponsors, we will have nothing. We will get nothing and we will go nowhere." "The facts are clear - Football has carried FIFA. But the beautiful game cannot save its governing body from itself any longer. It is time for us to take the first step, the first quiet step, to rebuilding football together." CAMERAMAN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (English) FIFA PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE PRINCE ALI BIN HUSSEIN OF JORDAN, SAYING: "The facts are clear - Football has carried FIFA. But the beautiful game cannot save its governing body from itself any longer. It is time for us to take the first step, the first quiet step, to rebuilding football together." SIGN READING (English): "CHATHAM HOUSE - THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS" PRINCE ALI TALKING WITH THE GUARDIAN'S SPORTS WRITER DAVID CONN (SOUNDBITE) (English) FIFA PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE PRINCE ALI BIN HUSSEIN OF JORDAN, SAYING: "I think any organization, wherever it is or whatever it is, the leadership must take responsibility if there are major failings within the organization. That is a given. And no matter what you do at this stage, you cannot bring back the reputation of the organization if things happen under your watch." CONN ASKING PRINCE ALI QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (English) FIFA PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE PRINCE ALI BIN HUSSEIN OF JORDAN, TALKING ABOUT THE PREVIOUS ELECTION CAMPAIGN, SAYING: "We went to confederations and, as candidates, we were not even allowed to speak. Which is a real shame when you talk about democracy. If I have candidates up there I want to ask them what their ideas are, how they can help us... But that system was not allowed to take place and that was a real shame. So, in that respect, there was no democracy in any way, shape, or form, in terms of the election. And I am really concerned that that might become the case again." PRINCE ALI AND CONN LAUGHING (SOUNDBITE) (English) FIFA PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE PRINCE ALI BIN HUSSEIN OF JORDAN, TALKING ABOUT THE PREVIOUS ELECTION CAMPAIGN, SAYING: "The other thing is that people are - from across the world - very reliant on FIFA. There is always the fear that, if there is a change, they might lose some support. Sometimes, behind closed doors, there are people who fuel that perception. And they do intimidate and scare people." TALK FINISHING / PRINCE ALI STANDING UP
- Embargoed: 25th September 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAA8N35SAPV0STHH28G8M0UAMM2
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan says he wants to be the man to lead soccer out of the "danger" it has been put in by the sport's governing body, FIFA, as he further commits to running for the organization's presidency.
Speaking at the London-based international affairs think tank Chatham House on Thursday (September 10), Prince Ali, 39, said that the future of the game was in danger.
"I stood in Amman yesterday and announced that I would seek election because FIFA was in danger," said Prince Ali, who made his official annoucement in the Jordanian capital on Thursday (September 9).
"The future of football in danger and if we do not act now, it may be too late. Without an intact governing body, without a World Cup in which all regions of the world participate, without a brand that is attractive to sponsors, we will have nothing. We will get nothing and we will go nowhere."
Prince Ali is the third heavyweight to declare following UEFA chief Michel Platini of France, and former Asia vice-president Chung Mong-joon of South Korea.
He also said in his speech that his campaign will depend on reforming the organisation.
"The facts are clear - Football has carried FIFA. But the beautiful game cannot save its governing body from itself any longer. It is time for us to take the first step, the first quiet step, to rebuilding football together."
Prince Ali, who has been the head of the Jordanian FA since 1999, was also adament that change could only come through a drastic change in leadership, and that current FIFA president Sepp Blatter and other FIFA leaders had to take responsibilty for the crisis that has embroiled the organization.
"I think any organization, wherever it is or whatever it is, the leadership must take responsibility if there are major failings within the organization. That is a given. And no matter what you do at this stage, you cannot bring back the reputation of the organization if things happen under your watch," said the prince.
Ali lost by 133-73 votes to incumbent Blatter in the election on May 27 before the Swiss announced he was standing down from the position four days later after FIFA was plunged into the worst crisis in its 111-year history following arrests of its officials and others two days before the election.
A fresh election to find a successor to Blatter will be held in Zurich on Feb. 26 and Ali will again campaign on an anti-corruption, reform programme.
Ali has already defeated Chung in an election when he took his Asian vice-presidency seat on the FIFA executive committee in 2011 which ended the Korean's 17-year stint at FIFA's top table. Ali subsequently lost his place on the FIFA executive earlier this year.
The prince was also keen to stress he wanted there to be a greater democratic process in the build up to February's election, and that in the previous campaign he wasn't even allowed to talk directly to certain confederations.
"We went to confederations and, as candidates, we were not even allowed to speak. Which is a real shame when you talk about democracy. If I have candidates up there I want to ask them what their ideas are, how they can help us... But that system was not allowed to take place and that was a real shame. So, in that respect, there was no democracy in any way, shape, or form, in terms of the election. And I am really concerned that that might become the case again," said Prince Ali.
"The other thing is that people are - from across the world - very reliant on FIFA. There is always the fear that, if there is a change, they might lose some support. Sometimes, behind closed doors, there are people who fuel that perception. And they do intimidate and scare people," he added.
Candidates with nominations from five national associations must officially register their declarations with FIFA by Oct. 26.
Liberian FA president Musa Bility, former Brazilian footballer Zico and David Nakhid, a former Trinidad & Tobago international, and all lightweights in FIFA political circles, have also said they are standing for the position. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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