Events that should be the crowning glory of a FIFA presidency already look like fraught affairs, thanks to a decision in 2010, beset by controversy but unlikely to be overturned, to award the 2018 and 2022 finals to Russia and Qatar.Russia is sharply at odds with the West over Ukraine and Syria.
And Qatar's treatment of migrant workers is a lingering issue, as is the difficulty of hosting the tournament in a small, scorching desert state - which has already forced it to be rescheduled for the first time to the northern hemisphere autumn, to the consternation of Europe's rich leagues.For their part, the five candidates have all been upbeat about the prospect of turning FIFA around.
UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino and
FIFA Coins Bahraini royal Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa are the bookmakers' frontrunners, ahead of Prince Ali and former FIFA deputy general secretary Jerome Champagne of France, with South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale the outsider."
It's not a poisoned chalice, for me I see it as a privilege," Champagne told Reuters."However, I recognise the difficulties, because if there is not a strong FIFA, football will be grabbed by a lot of people who have no interest in the game and want to use the game for other reasons - political, business or even criminal." (Reporting by Simon Evans; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
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