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 In May, Prince Ali politely -- some might say meekly -- conceded
after winning 73 of the 209 votes available in the first round,
allowing Blatter to secure a fifth term.
It was a thoughtful gesture from the 39-year-old Jordanian, saving
his allies from the very public act of defying Blatter for the
second time in a day at the ballot box.
That election was simply about whether FIFA’s congress was ready to
ditch Blatter -- something that never looked likely.
This time there will be very a different question facing delegates
-- who do they want to lead the reforms of FIFA and re-shape the
organization as it looks to leave its corruption crises behind?
As it stands, if Ali is to win, he has to persuade FIFA’s voters
that not only is he a credible figure but he has to turn them away
from current front-runner Platini, the UEFA president.
It is a task that looks extremely difficult for the Jordanian. The
bulk of his 73 votes in May came from Europe, but with Platini
standing, that electoral constituency has slipped away from him.
“I was not brought up to walk away in the face of a tough fight. Nor
have I been brought up to walk away from what I believe in or take
the easy way out,” Ali said as he announced his candidature on
Wednesday.
It was a speech that, tellingly, was liberally laced with tough talk
-- in what was a clear effort to send the message that no punches
will be pulled in the fight with Platini.
“I had the courage to fight for change when others were afraid….they
didn’t have the guts to run, but I did,” said Ali, when referring to
May’s vote, one of several not so disguised digs at Platini.
“We all face daily burdens. We must all overcome difficult
challenges. Be it the fight to feed our families or the fight to
stand up for what we believe in,” he added.
SPECIAL FORCES
A wrestler in his youth, Ali spent part of his education at the
Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in the United Kingdom and served
in the Jordanian special forces where he practiced free-fall
parachute.
But what is firing him up for battle in this campaign is clearly a
sense of having been betrayed by Platini.
During an interview at the Soccerex global convention in Manchester
on Monday, Ali was careful not to make any personal attacks on
Platini, focusing instead on labeling him a “protege” of Blatter.
When launching his campaign speech, however, he made it clear that
he feels he was manipulated by Platini.
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“I conceded that election not because I was not the best candidate,
but because others were using me to make room for themselves,"
Prince Ali said.
"Ever since President Blatter promised his resignation just a few
days later, they have been scrambling to secure the job for
themselves,” he added.
“I will not be a pawn for others. I cannot leave the field that I
have cleared, only to allow a flawed system to continue.
“I am my own man, with my own beliefs. They are beliefs formed from
my own experiences. I am free of influence and free of
manipulation."
It was impressive rhetoric which at the very least raised the
prospect of a genuine battle for votes in FIFA -- as opposed to the
previous electoral practices which relied on deal-making behind
closed doors, rather than public debate.
But with the leaders of his own Asian Football Confederation having
thrown their weight behind the former France international, the odds
are certainly stacked against the Jordanian.
He needs to persuade national associations in Asia to ignore their
leader’s wishes and to get the former Blatter loyalists in Africa
and the Caribbean to back a man who a few months ago was standing
against their candidate.
Ali may have been the stalking horse, used to challenge and
ultimately weaken Blatter’s power-base.
But now he needs to prove that he is the thoroughbred that can take
FIFA over the many hurdles that it faces.
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
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