Bin Hammam launches website in fight against Blatter

By Andrew Warshaw

March 18 – Mohamed Bin Hammam has wasted no time in his effort to unseat Sepp Blatter as FIFA President, launching his own personal website (pictured) to try and attract publicity.

The website has two language versions – English and Arabic – and contains news, videos and photos, a blog, and information about 61-year-old bin Hammam himself.

Crucially, it contains the entire manifesto which he hopes will be persuasive enough to end Blatter’s 13-year reign at the helm of FIFA.

Top of the list is a pledge to offer national associations greater financial incentives than they have had under Blatter, doubling to $500,000 the amount of support they would each receive annually.

Money talks more than anything else in FIFA but exactly where Bin Hammam will find the extra cash has not been spelled out.

Although most of FIFA’s funds come from its gigantic World Cup profits, Bin Hammam has yet to specify which pot will be tampered with in order to increase the levels of distribution to national associations.

Describing his chances of succeeding Blatter as “50-50”, Bin Hammam has announced plans to create 17 more Executive Committee positions on a new 41-strong FIFA Board – including four more representatives from Europe, Africa and his native Asia.

The last change to the Executive Committee came in 1996 when the numbers were raised from 21 to 24.

“There is now a time for a new face and a new heir,” Bin Hammam told reporters when announcing his candidature in Kuala Lumpur.

Clearly he is playing the transparency ticket after FIFA’s reputation was badly damaged by the World Cup bidding corruption scandal that saw two of its most senior members banned.

“I will establish a transparency committee,” he said.

“FIFA has an Ethical Committee checking acts after they happen.

“The transparency committee is going to be sure that all the acts of FIFA are sufficiently transparent to the public before they take place.

“I will consider…the demands from the public to keep FIFA and football organisations above accusations and suspicion of negative practice; the demands of the public to create an absolute, ethical, democratic and transparent environment within FIFA.”

He insists that if he wins there will still be a place for Blatter although, at 75, it is doubtful the veteran Swiss would have his pride hurt by accepting a lesser role.

“Naturally I would propose to him that he remains part of the family…maybe he can still do a function on behalf of FIFA,” Bin Hammam said.

“I’m not there to [seek] revenge I’m actually just trying to make the change for what I believe is good for FIFA.

“I will embrace him…I will respect him.”

With the election on June 1, Bin Hammam now begins a major charm offensive, attending next week’s UEFA Congress in Paris where he will make a concerted effort to gauge support from within Europe.

Not all confederations will vote as a bloc on election day at the FIFA Congress in Paris but CONCACAF’s 35 members will – which means veteran powerbroker Jack Warner again being cast in the role as potential kingmaker.

Meanwhile, outgoing Executive Committee member Franz Beckenbauer has warned that the Presidential election battle could split the world governing body apart.

“I think this is a dangerous situation because it could split FIFA into two camps,” said Beckenbauer, who stands down in June.

“One of its strengths has been its unity – it would be sad if that were to happen.

“I think it will be difficult for Bin Hammam.

“Blatter knows FIFA inside out and he has done a very good job until now.”

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