In a move that will encourage opponents of FIFA President Sepp Blatter in May's FIFA presidential election, CONCACAF said on Thursday that it "will not push" its members to vote as a block, according to Simon Evans of REUTERS. CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb said that "he is comfortable with the idea of associations voting for different candidates." In a break with past practice in the region, which has long been a stronghold of support for Blatter, national associations "will be given the freedom to back candidates as they see fit." Webb said, "I don't think that CONCACAF is going to come out (for a single candidate). CONCACAF doesn't have a vote, it's the members that have a vote." Webb "backed Blatter in the past but was careful with his words when asked directly if he was still publicly supporting the 79-year-old Swiss." Webb: "For me personally, we will go through a process on May 29, we will see how it goes" (REUTERS, 3/12).
'BIG CHALLENGE': In a separate piece, Evans wrote Webb said racism in World Cup hosts Russia was a "big challenge" ahead of the 2018 tournament. Webb urged clubs to tackle the problem from the "dressing-room out." Webb, who is chairman of FIFA’s Anti-Racism & Discrimination Task Force, said that Russian authorities "are committed to dealing with it." Webb: "Russia's a big challenge. We've met with minister of sport Vitaly Mutko, who is a member of the FIFA executive committee, and he has publicly said, 'Look, it's a challenge, it's obviously a problem.' They are going to start addressing it. We are going to work with them hand-in-hand." Webb added that "educational activities had to be at the center of the initiative." Webb: "Education, it has to be education. You are not born that way, it is something you are taught, someone teaches you to hate or to develop a certain way, we have to go into the communities" (REUTERS, 3/13). REUTERS' Brian Homewood wrote Blatter visited Qatar emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Sunday and said that "while progress has been made in improving workers' rights in the 2022 World Cup host nation, more still needed to be done." Blatter: "It is encouraging to hear the emir's personal commitment to workers' welfare and to get a sense of the improvements planned for all workers in Qatar" (REUTERS, 3/15).
NIERSBACH CLEARED: In a separate piece, Homewood also wrote German Football Federation (DFB) President Wolfgang Niersbach "has been cleared of breaking FIFA ethics rules in a case which was opened following a complaint by his predecessor Theo Zwanziger." FIFA's ethics committee said in a statement on Friday that a preliminary investigation had determined "that no provisions of the FIFA code of ethics had been violated in the case in question." The DFB welcomed the decision, saying that "the matter should now be considered closed" (REUTERS, 3/13).
The Association of Former Real Madrid Players has expressed its support for Luis Figo in the upcoming FIFA presidential elections, in which the Portuguese is running as a candidate.
"Here at the Association of Former Real Madrid Players, we would like to offer our full support in the upcoming FIFA president elections", read a letter addressed to Figo which was published by the Portuguese FA. In the letter - signed by the president of the association, Ignacio Zoco - former teammates of the retired Portuguese player offered to help with his candidacy in any way possible.
FIGO SUPPORT: The Association of Former Real Madrid Players "expressed its
support for Luis Figo in the upcoming FIFA presidential elections, in
which the Portuguese is running as a candidate." A letter addressed to Figo, which was published by the Portuguese
FA, said, "Here at the Association of Former Real Madrid Players, we would like
to offer our full support in the upcoming FIFA president elections." In the letter -- signed by the Association of Former Real Madrid Players President Ignacio
Zoco -- "former teammates of the retired Portuguese player offered to help
with his candidacy in any way possible" (
MARCA, 3/14).
