Luis Figo... ‘worked at all levels of the game throughout career’.Former Portugal international Luis Figo said yesterday he wanted to stand for the FIFA presidency revealing his plans one day before nominations close to enter the race.
The former Real Madrid and Barcelona forward announced his intention to run against incumbent Sepp Blatter in an interview with CNN and said he had the five nominations needed for an official campaign.
Figo, 42, was twice voted World Player of the Year and played for Portugal 127 times.
“I care about football, so what I’m seeing regarding the image of FIFA – not only now but in the past years – I don’t like it,” he said.
Figo is the latest to throw his hat in the ring alongside Blatter, Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, former FIFA official Jerome Champagne of France, ex-France international David Ginola and Michael Van Praag, president of the Dutch FA.
Speaking about his campaign, Figo said: “Football has given me so much during my life and I want to give something back to the game. I look at the reputation of FIFA right now and I don’t like it. Football deserves better.
“Throughout my career I have worked at all levels of the game. This has given me a unique insight and understanding that I feel can enhance the discussion about the future of football.”
In his 20-year playing career Figo made nearly 800 appearances for Sporting Lisbon, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter and played a record 127 times for Portugal scoring 32 goals.
Figo, who has served on the UEFA Football Committee , added: “I am convinced that FIFA’s position as the governing body of world football is absolutely vital.
“For this to be preserved it is essential that we see change at the top and we set FIFA on a new course which is all about football and less about politics.
“This is why I am looking forward to getting on the road in the coming weeks, to explain in detail my programme and my vision of the game.”
Van Praag yesterday named six countries who are backing him for the FIFA presidency.
Speaking at the Amsterdam Arena, Van Praag said he had sent the nominations from Belgium, Sweden, Scotland, Romania, the Faroe Islands and the Netherlands to FIFA in Zurich.
Meanwhile, Italian-Dutch football agent Mino Raiola said he is dropping plans to run for the FIFA presidency in the wake of the decision by Van Praag to challenge incumbent Blatter.
Last week Raiola said he would run for office in what looked more of a publicity stunt than a serious challenge.
But now Van Praag has joined the list of challengers to Blatter, Raiola told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad he was pulling out of the race.
“It is not about me but about getting a good candidate for the FIFA presidency. Now there is a good candidate,” he said in reference to Van Praag.
The 47-year-old Raiola, whose clients include Mario Balotelli and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, would have needed to prove five FAs supported his bid and that he had been active in football for at least two of the last five years before the deadline for submitting bids expires tonight.
“I’m getting violently sick when I think that Blatter could be re-elected,” Raiola said last week.
The vote for the FIFA presidency takes place in Zurich on May 29.