With just two months to go until FIFA’s presidential elections, UEFA President Michel Platini has called for change at the top.
The current leader of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, is running for a fifth-straight term in charge but faces stiff competition from former World Player of the Year Luis Figo, Prince Ali of Jordan and Dutch FA chief Michael van Praag.
[ RELATED: Qatar urged to improve labor laws ]
Blatter has been in charge of FIFA since 1998, but Platini is keen to see change when the votes are counted following the presidential election on May 29 in Zurich.
“Let’s see what happens. Let’s see the programs of the four candidates,” Platini said in a video released by UEFA. “But I think it’s important for football that there is a change in FIFA.”
Platini also added that the presidential election was a “very nice opportunity to open a debate for democratic reasons in the world of football.” He also said that “new ideas and a new program” were needed to help FIFA as soccer’s governing body has had its name dragged through the mud on many occasions during Blatter’s tenure. Allegations of corruption and the bidding process for the 2018/2022 World Cups headline a long list of unsavory incidents as FIFA’s reputation has been tarnished.
A former French international who has many supporters within UEFA, Platini revealed last August that he would not run for FIFA president. Speaking in the video released on Monday, he didn’t rule out running for FIFA president in the future.
“Perhaps it is not my time for the moment to go to FIFA,” Platini added. “We will see one day if I go or if I don’t go.”
