Exclusive - FIFA Presidential TV Debate Scuppered

(ATR) ESPN’s plans for a live TV debate featuring the five FIFA presidential candidates in January have been scuppered, Around the Rings understands.

The candidates were challenged by ESPN to participate in "a forum for open, transparent discussion about the future governance of the sport in advance of the election" in London on Jan. 29.

So far only Jerome Champagne has accepted the invitation to take part.

ATR is told that Asian Football Confederation boss Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa cannot participate due to prior AFC commitments. His campaign manager said Salman was involved in AFC presidential duties on Jan. 27-28, including a scheduled executive committee meeting.

He will attend the 3/4th play-off match of the AFC U23 Championship in Doha on the 29th as well as the final of the tournament, a Rio 2016 Olympic qualifying competition, the following day.

"It is due to these commitments that have been set for a few months now, that Shaikh Salman won't be physically able to attend any conference in London," Salman’s spokesman tells ATR.

ATR understands that Prince Ali was considering taking part in the ESPN debate on the proviso that the other four candidates attend. Salman’s no-show means the former FIFA vice president has ruled himself out of the debate.

The Jordanian adopted a similar stance following invitations by broadcasters to hold a televised debate on the future of FIFA ahead of the May election. Plans for that debate were scuppered when Sepp Blatter declined to take part.

The other two FIFA candidates, Gianni Infantino and Tokyo Sexwale, have yet to confirm their willingness to participate in the ESPN-hosted debate. But with hectic travel schedules to lobby leaders of FIFA’s 209 member federations in the run-up to the Feb. 26 presidential election in Zurich, they are expected to reject the invitation to London as their rivals are elsewhere gunning for votes on the campaign trail.

Champagne first proposed the concept of debates at the announcement of his first FIFA candidature in London in January 2014. He proposed it again two months ago in a letter to the 209 FAs.

"This debate is a step towards rebuilding the link between FIFA and the football lovers, and would be a signal of a "culture change" and a style where accessibility and openness would dominate," he told ATR on Wednesday.

The five candidates are vying to replace disgraced Sepp Blatter as the most powerful man in world football. Blatter was last week handed an eight-year ban from football by FIFA’s ethics judge for signing off a "disloyal" $2.1 million payment to UEFA president Michel Platini in 2011 for consultancy work carried out more than nine years before. Both men are appealing the sanctions.

Prince Ali, Champagne and Sexwale are still scheduled to attend a meeting at the European Parliament on Jan. 27.

Platini may already have breached the terms of his ban - which prohibits involvement in all football activities - when he attended the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai. Barcelona star Lionel Messi was among the footballers in attendance. According to Reuters, Platini made some remarks about his eight-year suspensionto Italian media.

FIFA's ethics spokesman declined comment to ATR when asked if Platini faced further ethics action.

Written by Mark Bisson

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