The message I heard, over and over, was that it is time for a cha... by Prince Ali

The message I heard, over and over, was that it is time for a change.

Prince Ali

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Categorized in : Sports

The world is waiting and watching -- this is the biggest milestone in the history of FIFA. It will decide if FIFA goes ahead as we want or if it spirals down.

The only positive aspect of today’s ruling is it that the election will now go forward as planned, and the media will be closely watching for any evidence that anyone is photographing their ballot, it is now imperative that voters abide by the ban on mobile phones and cameras in the voting booth. I look forward to Friday’s vote and remain as committed as ever to the goal of reforming FIFA.

I regret that the system let us down, the only positive aspect of today’s ruling is it that the election will now go forward as planned, and the media will be closely watching for any evidence that anyone is photographing their ballot.

Development projects mysteriously stall; tournament hosting bids are suddenly compromised or withdrawn; national teams start to mysteriously face less favorable fixtures or and even referees.

The FIFA Oversight Group ...is an essential element to revive FIFA’s reputation and restore it to what it should be – a service organization for football, having the commitment of a group of people with such impeccable credentials, unquestioned integrity and global standing represents an unprecedented response to the unprecedented crisis sweeping FIFA.

I'm referring to competitions and a lot of times Reuters Television comes down to the( continental) confederations as well, and the way they approach games, it's a common feeling within the footballing world and it's something that one has to really tackle and make sure there is no interference in terms of how things are planned.

It is a bunker, three floors underground, and for me that is not the vision that one should have for that organization, there is a problem where minutes are not published. And even when they are received they are not accurate, in my opinion.

If there is proof that there was criminal activity involved in a bid, then sure, i will, as president, be there to make sure that human rights and workers' rights are abided by.

Let me tell you what happens when you don't go with the recognized powers in FIFA, development projects mysteriously stall ; tournament hosting bids are suddenly compromised or withdrawn ; national teams start to mysteriously face less favorable fixtures or even referees.

The timing of this MOU( memorandum of understanding) between the AFC and the CAF looks like a blatant attempt to engineer a bloc vote, questions must be asked : was this deal approved by the members of the executive committees of both the AFC and CAF and is the timing of the announcement, prior to a presidential election, acceptable ?

I have always promoted cross-regional understanding, however the timing of this MOU between the AFC and the CAF looks like a blatant attempt to engineer a bloc vote, africa’s proud football associations are not for sale and development resources belonging to national football associations should not be used by presidential candidates and confederation presidents for political expediency.

This is an incredibly important moment for the future of the organization. It will be a catastrophe for the organization if things do not go the right way, the most important thing is that we have to have a real, responsible leadership in FIFA, no matter what happens in the future, you have to have a leadership that can implement the right changes and that is what I am dedicated to doing.

That cannot happen now, all candidates have been given strict instructions on how the election should be run and the confederations cannot control the individual votes of their members.

This time of crisis at FIFA is an opportunity for positive change, many good ideas have emerged in the current discussion over FIFA's future.

I have heard from many member associations over the last 24 hours, and what I have heard gives me confidence that, working together, we can emerge from this stronger, the need for new leadership that can restore the credibility of FIFA has never been more apparent.

I had the courage to fight for change when others were afraid …. they did n’t have the guts to run, but I did, we all face daily burdens. We must all overcome difficult challenges. Be it the fight to feed our families or the fight to stand up for what we believe in.

I conceded that election not because I was not Prince Ali, but because others were using me to make room for themselves, ever since Sepp Blatter as FIFA president promised Sepp Blatter as FIFA president resignation just a few days later, they have been scrambling to secure the job for themselves.

I was not brought up to walk away in the face of a tough fight. Nor have I been brought up to walk away from what I believe in or take the easy way out.

Friends I stand here in this ancient place in the timeless heart of Amman to once again launch my candidacy for the Presidency of Fifa, let me be clear, I want to finish what we started.

All of this should belong to the new president. Although reforms are welcome and much needed, they are the mandate of the new president, not the old one.