While many might not know the name of David Ginola, there is one thing for certain: he is not Sepp Blatter. The former Tottenham, Newcastle, Paris St. Germain, and French international announced on Friday that he intends to run for the President of FIFA.
Ginola joins former FIFA Executive Jerome Champagne and Prince Ali of Jordan as contenders to Blatter’s title in FIFA. Blatter has been the President of FIFA since 1998.
In a statement released on his website, Ginola says ” Whether you’re on the pitch or in the terraces, one thing we’ve all got in common is our passion for the beautiful game. Another thing we share is that we all know the current FIFA system isn’t working . . . the game needs to change. So who better than us, the football community, to come together and change the game ourselves?”
There is also a video where Ginola explains his reasoning as to why he wants to run for the FIFA President:
As opposed to Prince Ali Bin Hussein and Champagne, who have worked on the FIFA Executive Committee for years, the Ginola campaign appears to be run independently. His Presidential bid is being sponsored by Paddy Power a bookmaking website in the United Kingdom.
Ginola’s website also contains a fundraising tool where people interested in his campaign can pledge money. In addition to everyday people, the Ginola campaign has also gained the support of changeFIFA, an organization whose goal is to make FIFA fair and accountable.
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There are two roadblocks to the Ginola campaign. First, he needs to find some support among the national associations. FIFA rules require that all Presidential nominations be backed by at least 5 national associations. Although many national associations have spoken out publicly against FIFA, it will take someone courageous to move against an organization that typically votes as a block.
That Ginola’s campaign is being backed by a bookmaker is a very big concern. FIFA is currently undergoing massive investigations into match-fixing and have had issues with gambling in the past. Although Paddy Power is a legal legitimate website, even the faintest tie to gambling may be a bit too much for some.
Ginola will also need to have served in football administration in some capacity for three of the past five years. He currently has his coaching badges in Wales and was part of the committee to bring the World Cup back to England.
Whether or not Ginola, Prince Ali, or Champagne’s bids are successful, it is apparent that the desire to change FIFA is not going away. Blatter has been under fire in recent years for allegations of corruption and mismanagement while FIFA has been heavily criticized for bizarre and scrupulous behavior.
Beyond the contenders, members of the European Parliament are also looking to unseat Blatter. British MP Gerry Sutcliffe will be attending the Culture, Media and Sport Committee this week in Brussels, Belgium where it is expected that Blatter will be a very important topic.
After being tasked with reviewing the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, former Attorney General Michael Garcia resigned from his position after FIFA reportedly change the findings of his report in their synopsis. This comes after a New York Daily News expose revealed that Chuck Blazer, a former member of the FIFA Executive Committee, was working with the FBI on a corruption investigation within FIFA.
The recent run of corruption allegations have also made some sponsors think twice about working with FIFA. Both Sony and Emirates Airways have dropped multi-million dollar sponsorship deals with the Geneva-based organizations. Adidas has also spoken out against FIFA recently saying as recently as June that “The negative tenor of the public debate around FIFA at the moment is neither good for football nor for FIFA and its partners.”
The FIFA Presidential election is slated to take place later this year.