Rip it up and start again, every candidate is tainted

FIFA are not fit for purpose and whoever wins Friday’s presidential election will not be fit for purpose either.

All five candidates are, or have been, part of the football establishment. There have been no debates, nor any opportunity for scrutiny of their ideas for reforming this beleaguered, discredited organisation.

What is needed is fundamental reform, which is why I co-founded the New FIFA Now group in 2014. We advocate independent, external reform led by an eminent person supported by experts in governance and advised by people who know football.

Ninety per cent of the money in football is generated by fans, players, clubs and leagues, yet they have no say in who should be the leader of FIFA. This election campaign has been characterised by secret meetings between candidates, national football associations and regional confederations, where no doubt deals are done in return for votes.

The two frontrunners are Gianni Infantino, a bureaucrat who was Michel Platini’s right-hand man at UEFA, and Sheik Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, a member of the royal family of Bahrain and President of the Asian Football Confederation.

Sheik Salman has been accused of failing to stand up for the human rights of players who were victims of state reprisals for protesting against the Bahrain government.

To limit the opportunity for corruption, there must be clear separation of the commercial and governance responsibilities of the organisation, and an insistence that national football associations are transparent with their finances.

If a new World Cup was created with the backing of major broadcasters and sponsors, FIFA would be bust. With the support of fans, players and major leagues, a new federation could be created.

FIFA needs football, but football doesn’t need FIFA.