NYON: Dutchman Michael van Praag became the fourth man to challenge Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency when he joined the race on Monday, saying it was time to bring football’s governing body back to normal.

The 67-year-old president of the Royal Dutch Football Federation (KNVB) and former Ajax Amsterdam chairman is an outspoken critic of Blatter and said he was “very worried” about the state of football’s scandal-plagued governing body.

The KNVB, which announced Van Praag’s decision on its website, said he already had the backing of five national associations which is needed to mount a challenge.

Former FIFA deputy secretary general Jerome Champagne and Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan have already declared their intention to run and challenge incumbent Blatter at the May 29 election in Zurich.

So too has former France international David Ginola, in what is widely regarded as a publicity stunt.

Van Praag’s decision, three days before the deadline for candidates to confirm their bids, is a potential blow for Prince Ali who had been backing on UEFA’s support.

Van Praag’s campaign was launched after he revealed the plan to his UEFA executive committee colleagues at a meeting in Nyon. Still, UEFA is not formally endorsing Van Praag as its candidate despite its open hostility toward Blatter.

“There is no candidate of UEFA, as a matter of fact because UEFA has no vote,” UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino said at a post-meeting news conference.

“What we provide at UEFA is a platform for everyone to express [his] view. UEFA believes there should be an open and public debate about the future of FIFA, we believe it would be positive for football if credible candidates seek nominations.

“From now until May 29, there must be an open debate, a public debate about the future of football, and on May 29, each association will decide according to their conscience.”

Van Praag, in a statement released by the Dutch football federation, declared himself “very concerned about FIFA, and everyone is aware of that”.

“It’s time that the body is normalised and that it once again focuses on football,” he added, saying he’d stepped forward after waiting in vain for another credible candidate to emerge.

The deadline for potential candidates to put their names forward falls on Thursday for an election that will shape FIFA’s direction until after the next World Cup in Russia in 2018.

Blatter has become a deeply divisive figure in football following a series of scandals including over the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively.

Van Praag launched an outspoken attack on Blatter last year during the FIFA Congress in Sao Paulo, telling him that “people tend not to take you very seriously anymore”.

Blatter, who has led FIFA since 1998, is the overwhelming favourite to get a fifth presidential term. The 78-year-old FIFA chief stoked tensions with UEFA in an interview aired by CNN ahead of UEFA’s board meeting on Monday.

Blatter goaded UEFA by saying it led opposition to him but “they don’t have the courage to come in” the election fight.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2015

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