FIFA Leadership Battle Continues
Press Association – Liberia’s Musa Bility has been ruled out as a candidate for the FIFA presidency following integrity checks.
Football’s world governing body has approved five of the presidential candidates, with suspended UEFA boss Michel Platini also not included. The Frenchman could be added should his ban end before February’s election.
Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, Jerome Champagne, Gianni Infantino, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa and Tokyo Sexwale have been approved.
Bility, the 48-year-old president of the Liberian Football Association, was given a six month ban from all football activities in 2013 for using confidential documents from African football’s governing body in a legal challenge against Issa Hayatou.
He was involved in a fight against CAF’s rule changes to the process that effectively allowed president Hayatou to be re-elected unopposed in March.
Bility said he has been informed by FIFA that his candidacy was “principally rejected” because of the ban.
“I reject this and think it’s unfortunate,” he added. “My decision to fight CAF at the time was a genuine attempt to change African football and prevent rules from being arbitrarily violated. I am awaiting the review by my team of lawyers to determine my next course of action.”
FIFA said it would not comment further on the reasons for Bility’s exclusion, which he can challenge at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The election is to find a successor to the suspended Sepp Blatter, who is under criminal investigation. The 79-year-old Swiss announced he would be stepping down in June, with world football’s governing body at the centre of a corruption scandal.
Related Article: FIFA SUSPENDS PRESIDENT SEPP BLATTER
FIFA and Swiss prosecutors are investigating a £1.35m “gentleman’s agreement” payment made in 2011 for work Platini did as Blatter’s adviser nine years earlier. Both men deny any wrongdoing and are appealing against their 90-day bans.
Sheikh Salman was accused of “complicity in crimes against humanity” for allegedly heading a committee that identified 150 athletes involved in pro-democracy demonstrations in 2011, including international footballers, many of whom were later imprisoned and tortured. He denies the allegations and was approved as a presidential candidate.
Are any of the presidential candidates a good fit to restore world football from this corruption crisis? With so many being found to be involved as the investigation continues, it is difficult to be hopeful.
