In the realm of the garish and hyperbolic, nothing compares with the spectacular political theatre that is an American presidential election; yet with FIFA’s current crisis, this election will likely be the closest they’ve ever come. FIFA won’t elect its next president until well into the New Year—on February 26, 2016—but amid the seemingly incessant flood of scandals currently swamping the organization, there’s already plenty of buzz surrounding the potential candidates.
Among the seven presidential candidates there’s quite the cast of characters. In the running we have a precocious, reform-minded French diplomat; a seasoned FIFA executive currently serving a longterm ban amid bribery accusations; a man accused of abetting anti-democratic torture; and a former anti-apartheid ally of Nelson Mandela. Who among them might lead FIFA out of their darkest hour? Who might drive the organization further into disrepute? And—perhaps most importantly—who might actually win?
The Good
Jerome Champagne
Jerome Champagne was a late entry to the race—submitting his official candidacy application only three days before the deadline—but he made his entrance with gusto. Immediately after announcing his candidacy, Champagne, a former French diplomat, sent out a seven page manifesto on reform and FIFA’s future to every one of FIFA’s 209 member federations. The manifesto was high-minded and articulate, as we might expect from a multi-lingual diplomat.
In addition to recognizing the necessity to “restore FIFA’s credibility and prepare it for the challenges of an ever-evolving world,” Champagne highlighted the need for FIFA to be viewed as an incorruptible beacon in order to sustain its hallmark event, the World Cup. “We must protect the World Cup as that moment of planetary communion during which the pride in our colours and friendship among people of the world are truly at the altar.”
And if some might be concerned that a European associated with UEFA would continue a trend of Eurocentrism in FIFA, then Champagne’s manifesto is an important read. In addition to his commitments to reform and credibility, Champagne hit out at the world’s “current economic polarisation, and the sporting imbalances it brings in its wake,” promising to reduce the number of World Cup places for European nations, handing them to less wealthy countries in the Global South.
Tokyo Sexwale
A former anti-apartheid activist from South Africa, Tokyo Sexwale appears poised to win the votes of the Confederation for African Football (CAF), and from there, potentially FIFA’s presidency. Sexwale spent more than a decade imprisoned on Robben Island—alongside Nelson Mandela—studying while he was jailed. After his release, Sexwale excelled in both business and politics, amassing a fortune of more than $100 million.
Between his political campaigns and business ventures, Tokyo Sexwale has a wealth of executive experience, but where that experience comes from is perhaps most important. Sexwale served on the organizing committee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, but is otherwise something of an outsider to FIFA in this presidential race.
And that’s a good thing.
Sexwale’s service constitutes the minimum requirement to stand for election, having been involved in football activities for two of the previous five years. His minimal involvement in FIFA means he would enter into the presidency with a clean slate, disassociated from the cascade of scandal that’s plagued the organization. And should he win, Sexwale would become FIFA’s first black president.
The Bad
Michel Platini
Michel Platini is embroiled in a multimillion dollar bribery scandal, suspended from FIFA, and currently caught in a mud-slinging battle with his former partner (in crime?) Sepp Blatter. But he still plans to run for president. Platini denies that the payment made to him was a bribe, claiming he can produce tax records and a paper trail that legitimizes the payment. Whether or not that is the case, despite his current disrepute, Platini still believes himself a viable candidate.
In a recent interview, Platini confirmed that he still plans to run, regardless of his suspension—and that he believes himself the best man for the job.
“I am, in all humility, the most able to run world football…Even if I cannot go out campaigning, I fully consider myself a candidate. Today, I have the sense of being a knight from the Middle Ages, in front of a castle. I am trying to get in to bring football back, but instead I’m having boiling oil poured on my head.”
This is a man who, amid accusations of bribery and a role in FIFA’s unprecedented scandal, actually said on the record that “in all humility,” he would compare himself to a medieval knight in shining armor, come to save the day.
That’s not just lack of perspective; it’s a completely lost frame of reference.
Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa
The Bahraini Sheikh Salman has been president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for two years, and in that time, has firmly established himself as the face of Asian football. Consequently, he’s likely to receive backing from all of the AFC’s 46 constituent federations. Think about playing the game of Risk: if you’re in control of Asia, you’re already in great shape.
However, if Salman’s candidacy is in good shape, hopes that he might be the reformer FIFA needs are not. In addition to having been a close associate of Sepp Blatter—meaning he is not be the credible external candidate many have called for—Salman has an even bigger skeleton in the closet. In 2011, many Bahraini athletes were involved in a massive pro-democracy rally, something that, one would hope, a man who would lead FIFA (which is, at least allegedly, a democratic organization) would be in favor of.
According to multiple human rights groups, that was not the case.
Many of the athletes, including a number of Bahraini footballers, were identified from the protest photos, jailed, and tortured. According to the BBC, in 2013, the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy wrote to FIFA asking for an investigation into Salman’s complicity in the arrests and subsequent torture, claiming he spearheaded a special anti-protest committee that resulted in the arrests.
Their letter claimed the following: “At least six footballers from the Bahrain national football team were arrested, defamed and tortured following their public identification and humiliation by authorities, including the Bahrain Football Association (BFA). More than 150 athletes, coaches and referees were jailed after a special committee, chaired by the former BFA president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, identified them from protest photos.”
Salman, of course, denies all involvement and any wrongdoing. I’m not in a position to comment on his complicity or his potential innocence—but even if he is innocent, taking up the presidency of an already embattled organization amid accusations of “crimes against humanity” can hardly be seen as ideal.
The Likely
Amid the seven candidates, three stand out as potential winners.
For the reform-minded, Tokyo Sexwale is FIFA’s best hope. Jerome Champagne’s manifesto showed both ambition and recognition of FIFA’s plight, but the Frenchman is unlikely to find the backing he’ll need to win. Sexwale has the bare minimum of football involvement required to run, but is, for the most part, an external candidate with a sterling reputation. That’s precisely what FIFA needs, and with Africa already behind him, he’ll likely find favor among reformists elsewhere.
Sheikh Salman may be under scrutiny, but like Sexwale, he has the backing of a continent all but secured. Would FIFA benefit from a former Blatter ally with his own scandalous imbroglio taking the reins in February? Of course not. Might it happen? Absolutely. Salman’s popularity may hinge on how far he can distance himself from the human rights abuse accusations—but not much. After all, we have a 2022 World Cup in Qatar that is being built by borderline slave labor, with hundreds already dead, and few in FIFA seem to mind; several dozen anti-democratic arrests should hardly prove a dealbreaker.
And finally, despite his blindly self-indulgent medieval metaphors, Michel Platini may just win. Unless FIFA decides to extend Platini’s suspension, it will expire in time for him to stand for election. If anything, the past week’s mud-slinging between Blatter and Platini confirms that anything goes in a FIFA election.
In a recent criticism of Platini—for backing out of “a gentlemen’s agreement” to prearrange the votes for FIFA’s 2018 and 2022 World Cups—Blatter had this to say: “There was a kind of arrangement between Spain and some South American voters together with Qatar: you vote for me and we vote for you. It was not a signed arrangement, but there was some evidence that they had some collusion or whatever. But in election, you can never avoid that: that’s impossible.”
And there we have it, folks. In FIFA elections, according to its suspended president, there has always been and will always be “some collusion or whatever.” It’s unavoidable. Want to root it out? Want to delouse the organization in charge of soccer around the globe? Well, tough luck; according to Blatter, “that’s impossible.”
Let’s hope he’s wrong.