FIFA presidential candidate Jerome Champagne has labelled David Ginola’s campaign a ‘stunt’.
ESPN FC analyst Craig Burley sounds off on David Ginola’s run for FIFA presidency, pleading for a credible candidate to emerge.
ESPN FC’s Gab Marcotti sounds off on David Ginola’s decision to run for the FIFA presidency, and Marcotti believes this is a colossal stunt who cannot name any of the FIFA executive committee.
David Ginloa’s bid to stand against Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency could fall foul of rules surrounding betting and gambling imposed by world football’s governing body.
Ginola, a former France international and Newcastle and Tottenham player, is being funded by bookmaker Paddy Power to challenge incumbent Blatter, who is seeking a fifth term in charge.
He is being paid 250,000 pounds to seek the FIFA presidency, but the organisation’s election guide says candidates must abide by its ethics code.
That code includes a rule that reads: “Persons bound by this code shall be forbidden from taking part in, either directly or indirectly, or otherwise being associated with betting, gambling.”
FIFA told the Associated Press the rule would “be part of the eligibility assessment of prospective FIFA presidential candidates by the ad-hoc electoral committee in accordance with the electoral regulations.”
But if Ginola is to make it on to the ballot, he will need to receive nominations from five of FIFA’s 209 national federations by Thursday.
He has yet to receive the public backing of any federation and last week said he would be seeking the support of the Football Association of Wales.
In a statement to the Associated Press, Paddy Power said: “Both the heading and the content of the rule clearly relate to the integrity of football matches and competitions.”
Incumbent Sepp Blatter is set to to seek a fifth term as FIFA president.
Paddy Power has said it will stop contributing financially after the Jan. 27 deadline for candidates to gather the necessary support of federations.
“Paddy Power assisted by getting this campaign off the ground in the run-up to Ginola getting on the ballot and will not be contributing financially beyond Jan. 27,” a statement from the bookmaker said.
“We have always been clear this needs to be a fan-backed campaign. Indeed, crowd funding is required to continue campaigning once he is an official candidate.”
Ginola’s bid has the backing of pressure group ChangeFIFA, which has campaigned for new leadership at the top of an organisation that has faced numerous allegations of corruption.
But his bookmaker-backed bid has been dismissed as a publicity stunt in some quarters.
However, Ginloa insisted: “This is something real, and we will work hard for weeks and months. We will be getting into details this week because we want to restore trust in FIFA.
“I am an independent voice, and it’s nice to have that different voice in the debate, to say that things can change and to leave a positive legacy behind.
“But I’m not from outside football. I’m a former football player and football has been my life, I dreamed of being a football player when I was nine and I played until I was 35.
“There is some space for us at FIFA, and I am very confident in the next few days that people in the world of football will be behind me.”
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.