BBC In Negotiations To Stage FIFA Presidential Election Debate

Negotiations "are under way for the BBC to stage a live debate with candidates in the build-up to the FIFA presidential election on February 26," according to Andrew Warshaw of INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL. Last week, U.S. broadcaster ESPN "pulled the plug on a similar idea" scheduled for Jan. 29 because only Prince Ali bin al-Hussein and Jérôme Champagne were available. Now, however, the BBC "has stepped in and is understood to have already received assurances from three of the five candidates for the round-table debate to be held in mid-February in London." Tokyo Sexwale and emerging favorite Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa "are still considering whether to accept the invitation." No televised debate "has ever before been held in a FIFA presidential election." BBC and Sky "made a similar proposal before last May's vote but Sepp Blatter, who ended up winning 133-73 against Prince Ali, turned down the invitation" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 1/18).