Qatar’s Mohamed Bin Hammam, the sole challenger to Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency, has said the organisation has “been dragged through the mud”.
In a blog on his personal website, the Asian Football Confederation president said the corruption allegations made against FIFA showed “something urgently needs to be done to improve and enhance” its image.
Blatter, 75, will go head-to-head with the 61-year-old Qatari as he seeks to secure a fourth term as president on June 1.
Bin Hammam, who is in his third term as head of Asian football, said he was certain FIFA “was not corrupt” but added: “Under the current status quo it is impossible to deny that the governing body’s reputation has been sullied beyond compare and it is time for that to change.”
He said: “A new atmosphere needs to descend upon FIFA; there needs to be an opportunity for new ideas to take hold and for the organisation to take a new direction.”
He claimed Blatter’s decision for FIFA to donate €20m to Interpol was taken arbitrarily by the FIFA president and was not discussed with the Executive Committee.
“It is just another example of the current regime choosing to run football how it sees fit, rather than doing so in a manner that is consistent with the governing body’s proper procedures,” he said in his blog.
Bin Hammam’s election campaign was dealt a blow earlier this week when UEFA said it will support incumbent Sepp Blatter in his bid for a fourth term as president.
“The UEFA executive committee has decided to give its unanimous support to Mr Joseph S Blatter in the upcoming FIFA presidential elections and strongly recommends all UEFA member associations to do likewise,” UEFA said in a statement, which was signed by the 16 members of the executive committee of European soccer’s ruling body.
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