Prince Ali bin al-Hussein on Thursday announced plans to create an independent oversight group -- FIFA Oversight Group -- a group of individuals known for their integrity, knowledge of governance, diplomacy and sport. The group will be led by former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to help steer FIFA through its first year to recover from crisis and to support the future reform process. If elected, Prince Ali will immediately set up the select FIFA Oversight Group as part of his vision to bring football’s governance into the 21st century. Prince Ali’s proposal has been discussed with the following individuals, all of whom think that the oversight group should be part of FIFA’s reform:
- Annan
- Former Mexico President Ernesto Zedillo
- Former World Food Programme Exec Dir Catherine Bertini
- Former EPL, Liverpool CEO Rick Parry
Prince Ali said, "The FIFA Oversight Group will serve as the safest possible pair of hands to put FIFA back on track" (
Prince Ali).
SALMAN CONFIDENT: REUTERS' Simon Evans reported FIFA presidential candidate Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said that he will enter the final stretch of the election campaign in a "confident mood" after receiving "significant support around the world." He "is one of two front-runners for the top job" at FIFA along with UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino of Switzerland. Sheikh Salman said in a statement, "I have been in constant contact with colleagues within the FIFA ExCo (executive committee), in the other confederations, and around the world." Salman has been given "formal backing" from the leaderships of the Asian Football Confederation and the Confederation of African Football while Infantino has UEFA and CONMEBOL behind him. Infantino flew to Malaysia "to meet Asian officials this week in a bid to try to tempt some to abandon their regional president" (REUTERS, 2/18).
CELL PHONE BAN: REUTERS' Brian Homewood reported a FIFA presidential candidate said that mobile phones and cameras "will be banned from polling booths at next week's FIFA presidential election to ensure each vote remains secret." French FIFA presidential candidate Jérôme Champagne said that he "raised the issue with the electoral committee because he was concerned some voters had come under pressure to photograph their ballot papers" to prove they had taken part. Champagne said that he wrote to FIFA Audit & Compliance Committee Independent Chair Domenico Scala, saying, "Past experience, as well as the information currently circulating, is showing that in order to assure compliance with directives, voting members are being required to take pictures of their voting form with a mobile phone." Scala said in a reply that all delegates would be reminded "the use of mobile phones, cameras or other electronic equipment suited to record the voting process are not permitted in the voting booths." Scala added that "ballot papers will only be handed out to delegates once they are in the voting booths" (REUTERS, 2/17).
BANNED FOR LIFE?: The PA reported FIFA's ethics committee has recommended life bans for former CONMEBOL VPs Luis Bedoya and Sergio Jadue. Until November, Bedoya, 56, was the president of the Colombian Football Federation and Jadue, 36, held the same role with the Chilean federation. Both "pleaded guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy in December" (PA, 2/18). REUTERS' Maximiliano Rizzi reported a judge in Argentina on Wednesday "ordered the release" of a former top CONMEBOL official who has been charged by U.S. justice officials with involvement in a FIFA bribery racket. However, the extradition of former CONMEBOL Secretary General Jose Meiszner to the U.S. will go ahead, Meiszner's lawyer said. Meiszner had surrendered to Argentine police in December, "but requested to be put under house arrest due the state of his health" (REUTERS, 2/18).
