One of the founding members of the pressure group campaigning for reform of FIFA said that the group has "uncovered a reluctance within football to publicly back the organization even though many support its motives," according to Brian Homewood of REUTERS. Jaimie Fuller, an Australian businessman who previously led the "Change Cycling Now" lobby group following a series of doping scandals, said that there was a "reticence to speak out against" FIFA. Swiss-based sportswear company SKINS Chair Fuller said, "I had some conversations and the response was, privately, 'We love what you're doing but publicly we can't get involved with you politically.'" New FIFA Now was launched in Brussels on Jan. 21 with Fuller "on the top table and an abundance of politicians and disenchanted sports officials in attendance." Fuller said that he was disappointed that FIFPro and various supporters' groups were absent. With the majority of FIFA's 209
national associations "expected to back" FIFA President Sepp Blatter, critics "wonder how
outsiders can change the system, but Fuller said the campaign had real purpose." Fuller: "Everything starts with a step. We are contacting all 209 federations to engage with them, probably futile in a lot of cases, but we will engage. We are stepping up our activity on the sponsor front and likewise we will engage at government level" (REUTERS, 2/10).
CANDIDATES PASS CHECKS: Homewood reported in a separate piece FIFA said on Monday that the four candidates for the presidency have "passed integrity checks and have been formally declared eligible for the election on May 29." FIFA confirmed that Blatter, who will be standing for a fifth mandate, former Portugal forward Luis Figo, Dutch FA President Michael van Praag and Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan had all been accepted (REUTERS, 2/9).
CAF SEEKS RULE CHANGE: REUTERS reported officials said on Tuesday that long-serving Confederation of African Football President Issa Hayatou is seeking to change his organization's rules on age limits "in order to continue at the helm well into the next decade." CAF currently requires officials who reach 70 to step down "but a proposal to scrap the age limit" is to be placed before the ruling body's Congress in Cairo from April 7-8 (REUTERS, 2/10). INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL's Andrew Warshaw reported Qatar World Cup Organizing Committee Secretary General Hassan Al Thawadi, who failed in '13 to "win a seat on FIFA's executive committee, has decided not to stand again." But the Gulf state will "still make another bid for a position of power both at FIFA and within their own Asian continent." Qatar FA VP Saud Al Mohannadi, who has long been rumored to be "interested in running, has announced plans to go for both a FIFA exco place and to become one of the Asian Football Confederation's vice presidents" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 2/10).
NIERSBACH OFFERS SUGGESTION: The AP reported German Football Federation (DFB) President Wolfgang Niersbach said that he has told Blatter "he should become honorary president and not run for a new mandate." Niersbach said that FIFA could regain "a positive image only with different faces at the top." Niersbach said he told Blatter in a private conversation, "I'd find it good if he became honorary president" (AP, 2/10).
