Football
PA Sport 8y

FIFPro publishes its criteria for next FIFA president

Footballers' union FIFPro has published four "vital criteria" it believes the next FIFA president must meet if the game's governing body is to repair its reputation.

With next week's deadline for candidates to come forward fast approaching, the global body has said Sepp Blatter's replacement must meet certain standards if football is to "climb out of the toxic pit which continues to produce serious accusations of corrupt behaviour on almost a daily basis."

FIFPro said the new FIFA president must have a proven capacity to drive reform of a democratic and politically complex global body; a governance record; a human rights record; and an understanding of the game as a sport and business.

Those seeking to replace Blatter have until Monday to declare their candidacy.

UEFA president Michel Platini is determined to stand despite currently being suspended as FIFA investigates a £1.35 million payment he received from Blatter in 2011. The Frenchman submitted his candidacy prior to the suspension and it will be reconsidered if he is reinstated prior to the vote in February.

In addition to Platini, former FIFA vice-president Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, former Trinidad and Tobago player David Nakhid and Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman al-Khalifa are expected to stand.

Salman's potential candidacy would not be without controversy, however, given a number of questions he faces about human rights abuses in his native Bahrain, specifically related to the pro-democracy uprising in 2011. Salman has denied the allegations.

Jerome Champagne has also declared his intention to stand.

FIFPro's statement said the new FIFA president must be able to show "a body of work based on social wellbeing, fairness, democratic values on human rights."

It added: "The future leader of FIFA has to be a proven reformer, an impeccable figure who passes the most stringent integrity tests (underpinned by the highest standards of ethical behaviour and honesty), carried out independently, possibly by more than one external body."

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