FIFA presidential candidate Michael van Praag said that FIFA's leadership "inhabits a world of private jets and vanity film projects," excesses it "should end," according to Tariq Panja of BLOOMBERG. Van Praag, the head of the Dutch federation, wants more of the $5B collected from the World Cup "to go to national governing bodies" instead of projects like the $27M movie about the men, including Blatter, who have led the Zurich-based organization. Like Blatter's other challengers -- Jordan's Prince Ali bin al Hussein and former World Player of the Year Luis Figo -- Van Praag is "promising to divert more cash from the headquarters to FIFA's 209 national associations." Each federation has a vote in May's election. Van Praag: "FIFA should not spend its money on all kinds of items like movies or private jets for the president because at the end of the day it's the associations' money, nobody else's." FIFA was the "main backer" for a movie, "United Passions," which celebrated execs and featured "Pulp Fiction" actor Tim Roth as Blatter. Members of FIFA's own exec board, including VP Jim Boyce, said that they did not "know about the development of the film, which has brought in about $200,000 since its May premier at the Cannes film festival." Van Praag said, "FIFA should be like any other organization today: lean, mean and clean" (BLOOMBERG, 3/10).
MAYNE-NICHOLLS' TIMETABLE: INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL's Andrew Warshaw reported just more than a week before FIFA is expected to announce the dates for the 2022 Winter World Cup in Qatar, former FIFA official Harold Mayne-Nicholls, who "analyzed the credentials of all nine canddiates for 2018 and 2022," has presented what he believes is a "workable timetable -- but only if significant tweaks are made." Mayne-Nicholls has come up with a blueprint he believes FIFA's exec committee "should consider when it meets on March 19 and 20 in Zurich." He proposed a timetable with a Nov. 18 opening game and Dec. 17 final (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 3/10).
NFF ON THE SPOT: INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL's Mark Baber reported while the Nigerian Football Federation worries that its '15 government grant of $60M "is insufficient, its belated appearance before parliament on Tuesday proved a disaster" as the Sports Committee insisted the federation provide "full disclosure of its accounts -- including how money from FIFA and sponsors has been spent." After "repeatedly ignoring parliament's attempts to hold the NFF to account for how its money has been spent," NFF VP Seyi Akinwunmi and General Secretary Musa Amadu "finally went before the Sports Committee on Tuesday" in order to get the 2015 government grant of $60M released (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 3/11).
