Seeking to clean up scandal-plagued FIFA would seem a comparatively straightforward mission for FIFA vice president Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein compared with one of his current roles in Jordan.
“I work right now in the field of crisis management, which is probably a good thing for someone running for a FIFA presidency,” the Jordanian royal said in an interview on Tuesday.
It is seven years since the Princeton University-educated prince established Jordan’s security and crisis management center. It is a job he will step aside from if successful in his bid to unseat FIFA president Sepp Blatter in May to take control of world football.
Photo: Reuters
The prince was speaking in London as Jordan were contending with the security crisis created by the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Hours after al-Hussein’s interview in London, a Jordanian pilot captured by the extremist group was confirmed as having been killed.
“We are very, very concerned,” al-Hussein said. “This is a global phenomenon which affects all of us ... it’s a world threat and one that will take a while to resolve.”
As a FIFA vice president and Jordanian Football Federation (FA) president, al-Hussein is troubled by the impact too on the sport as the Islamic State, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levante, has gained territory.
“There are concerns ... I did volunteer to go to Iraq to see what can be done to help them play the sport they love,” he said. “Football should not be held hostage to anyone. It’s global, it’s for the world.”
Al-Hussein’s own position at FIFA relies on him preventing Blatter from winning a fifth, four-year term in May, with his own four-year spell representing Asia on world football’s governing body ending soon.
Although the FIFA presidential poll is of the 209 national associations, the perception is that Blatter’s re-election is a formality given how many nations benefit from FIFA’s financial support for development projects.
Al-Hussein believes there is a “culture of intimidation” sustaining the 78-year-old Blatter’s reign with a fear of speaking out.
“I have never been intimidated myself, but I do know there is a little bit of a culture of fear and ramifications, especially for members who maybe are not England or the US, but for smaller FAs who get a lot from FIFA,” he said. “I understand the concerns that doing the right thing might harm the support that they get.”
Al-Hussein’s election nominations came from the US, England, Belarus, Malta, Georgia and his homeland.
However, his inability so far to gain backing beyond Jordan in the Asian Football Confederation, or from Caribbean and South American federations underscores the challenge of ending Blatter’s rule, which stretches back to 1998.
“It’s a long campaign now until May 29 so I don’t think anyone should be written off,” he said at his campaign launch at a London hotel. “I don’t think anyone has a stranglehold on any confederation.”
However, there is also a split within the European governing body UEFA, which has links to the al-Hussein’s campaign.
Royal Dutch Football Association president Michael van Praag and Portugal great Luis Figo are also currently being vetted by FIFA’s election committee to become formal candidates after the close of nominations last week.
“It’s symptomatic of the need for change,” al-Hussein said of the four-man field, who he hopes will get a chance to engage in a televised debate.
By then he would have to set out a distinctive vision to transform FIFA that differs from his rivals — including Blatter — beyond current pledges to tackle racism and match-fixing, and to prioritize development and transparency.
A challenge for al-Hussein could be showing how, as a member of a royal family, he is equipped to make FIFA a more accessible and effective governing body.
“There is no royalty in football,” the prince said. “Titles mean nothing. What is important is that we do our best for the sport.”
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