It was with some surprise that I saw David Ginola had thrown his cap into the ring and made a bid to become FIFA president in the forthcoming elections. (Ginola is a former French international footballer and star of the Premiership, a gifted midfielder who played for both Newcastle and Tottenham.) One of his platforms is the desire for a higher profile for the women’s game and he says he believes the men’s and women’s football World Cups should be staged together. (The tournaments are currently hosted by different countries in different years.) He has made the following statements:
“Together We Can Change The Game.”
“The current FIFA system isn’t working. So who better than us, the football community, to come together and change the game ourselves?”
“Lack of equality in football is a burning issue that FIFA has so far dismally failed to address.”
“Despite talented players, dedicated fans and far-reaching interest around sport, women’s football continues to be limited by both attitudinal and financial discrimination. In this day and age, it’s just not good enough.”
“One of the key ways we’ll make a difference is by adopting the olympic model that sees all athletes compete under one banner, in one country, during one timeframe.”
“I want to unite every single one of the world’s football players and fans behind a global spectacular that takes the world cup – and with it women’s football – to new heights.”
So, is this just a publicity stunt sponsored by Paddy Power? Team Ginola website is a fund raising site looking to raise £2.3 million to fund this bid. Bookie Paddy Power have apparently kicked off the campaign with a donation of £250,000 to the charismatic Ginola in order to assist this tilt at the FIFA Presidency.
Although at first excited by the prospect of another well respected name thrown into the mix for the forthcoming elections I’m not sure that this is quite the right way to make the challenge. I’m also not sure, despite reading sound bites concerning the world cup what the aim is, the men’s and women’s tournaments to run concurrently, or the women to follow the men. Would either be a good idea?
FIFA is an organisation mired in scandal and rumours of corruption, none of which has been helped in recent months but on the promise of cleaning up the organisation and bringing football back to the people is a new President, backed by a publicity seeking bookie, setting the correct precedent?
David Ginola will need the backing of five nominations from the 209 member associations by 29 January 2015, in order to stand, something Jérôme Champagne, the former senior FIFA executive has so far apparently failed to achieve. Michel Platini, current head of UEFA has thrown his support behind the Jordanian FIFA Vice President Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein’s bid. But, are any of these candidates strong enough to really make a legitimate challenge?
How big a strangle hold has the dubious Blatter got over other members and, despite promising to stand down, will he once again manage to stand unopposed and retain his seat for a fifth term in office?
Intriguing questions, and it will be interesting to see how events unfold in the coming weeks. One thing that has been achieved is that the women’s game has received welcome publicity in advance of the World Cup in Canada this June, an event that will surely showcase an array of talent to further the cause of women’s football.
