FIFA has approved five candidates for its February presidential election amid the "worst crisis in its history," after barring Liberia's Musa Bility "on integrity grounds" and leaving out UEFA President Michel Platini "while he remains under suspension," according to Joshua Franklin of REUTERS. Platini, the original favorite to succeed President Sepp Blatter, "was not admitted because he has been suspended for 90 days pending a full Ethics Committee investigation." FIFA had already announced that it would not process Platini while he was suspended, but "could review its position if he wins an appeal against the ban." The five approved presidential candidates were Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain, former FIFA official Jérôme Champagne of France, UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino of Switzerland and South Africa businessman Tokyo Sexwale. FIFA's electoral committee said that Bility was not admitted "in view of the content of the integrity check report relating to him" (REUTERS, 11/12). The BBC reported Bility, the 48-year-old president of the Liberian FA, was given a six-month ban from all football activities in '13 for "using confidential documents" from the Confederation of African Football in a "legal challenge" against CAF President Issa Hayatou. Bility was involved in a fight against CAF's rule changes to the process that "effectively allowed" Hayatou to be re-elected unopposed in March. Bility said that he has been informed by FIFA that his candidacy was "principally rejected" because of the ban. He said, "I reject this and think it's unfortunate. My decision to fight CAF at the time was a genuine attempt to change African football and prevent rules from being arbitrarily violated" (BBC, 11/12).
BLATTER LEAVES HOSPITAL: REUTERS' Marina Depetris reported former Blatter adviser and confidant Klaus Stöhlker said that Blatter has been discharged from hospital. Stöhlker: "He had to stay a few days in hospital but now he is out, he is at home in (the canton of) Valais. He is very happy and he is relaxing a few days until the beginning of next week and then he will be back. He's recovering very fast" (REUTERS, 11/12).
FA WANTS EXPLANATION: The PA reported Arsenal Manager Arsène Wenger has reportedly been asked by the FA to "explain his recent comments on doping." In a recent interview with L’Equipe Sport and Style, Wenger said that he had "never instructed one of his players to take a performance-enhancing substance" but suggested he had "come up against opposition who might have done so." He has "long been an advocate of making advances in drug testing" and said it was a "matter of personal pride to have never resorted to cheating," while claiming "others might have done so." Wenger: "I try to be faithful to the values that I find important in life and to transmit them to others" (PA, 11/12).
