By Walter Broeckx
As you know we on Untold have been on Fufa their back on many occasions. Today I want to continue but I admit that I didn’t have much time and I thought that maybe for once it would be better to let someone speak about Fufa and what he found out in the last months.
I have taken this from the public facebook account of Luis Figo himself and you can find it yourself over here For those who do not want to leave Untold I will copy the open letter below.
Running for president of FIFA resulted from a personal decision, taken after listening to many pertinent people in the realm of international soccer.
I sought out the support needed for me to stand, I formally presented my candidacy, and the reactions in the soccer world were so overwhelming — both in public and in private — that I was reassured that I had made the right decision.
The realm of a sport which gave me everything to become what I am, and to which I now offered to give something back, is hungry for change. FIFA needs change and I feel that the change is urgent.
Guided by that wish, by the formal support I collected, and by the incredible wave of support from soccer players, former players, coaches, referees and administrators, I imagined and presented a plan of action — my election manifesto for the FIFA presidency.
I travelled and met extraordinary people who, though they recognized the value of much that had been done, also concurred with the need for change, one that cleans up FIFA’s reputation as an obscure organization that is so often viewed as a place of corruption.
But over the past few months I have not only witnessed that desire (for change), I have witnessed consecutive incidents, all over the world, that should shame anyone who desires soccer to be free, clean and democratic.
I have seen with my own eyes federation presidents who, after one day comparing FIFA leaders to the devil, then go on stage and compare those same people with Jesus Christ. Nobody told me about this. I saw it with my own eyes.
The candidates were prevented from addressing federations at congresses while one of the candidates always gave speeches on his own from the rostrum. There has not been a single public debate about each candidate’s proposals.
Does anyone think it’s normal that an election for one of the most relevant organizations on the planet can go ahead without a public debate? Does anyone think it’s normal that one of the candidates doesn’t even bother to present an election manifesto that can be voted on May 29? Shouldn’t it be mandatory to present such a manifesto so that federation presidents know what they’re voting for?
That would be normal, but this electoral process is anything but an election.
This (election) process is a plebiscite for the delivery of absolute power to one man – something I refuse to go along with.
That is why, after a personal reflection and sharing views with two other candidates in this process, I believe that what is going to happen on May 29 in Zurich is not a normal electoral act.
And because it is not, don’t count on me.
I want it to be clear that I have deep respect for all world soccer, from Africa, where I got so much motivation, to Asia, where I have and will keep excellent relationships, through South America, where a new generation is emerging, and Central and North America, where so many who wanted to speak were silenced, and to Oceania, whose development we should all look at differently. And finally to Europe, where I felt there was space for normal and democratic debate, thanks to the endeavours of President (Michel) Platini.
I give my warmest thanks to everyone, because I want it to be clear that they are not the election committee and it is not they who want FIFA to become weaker and weaker.
For my part, I will abide by the ideas I leave written and have circulated, I am firm in my desire to take an active part in the regeneration of FIFA and I will be available for it whenever it is proven to me that we are not living under a dictatorship.
I do not fear the ballot box, but I will not go along with nor will I give my consent to a process which will end on May 29 and from which soccer will not emerge the winner.
My decision is made, I will not stand in what is being called an election for the FIFA presidency.
I offer my deepest thanks to all those who have supported me and I ask them to keep alive their desire for a regeneration which, though it may take some time, will come.
I think this shows what a bunch of ******** and ******** we have who are running football. It sure seems that money rules and most of all brown envelops rules.
If you want another piece of how great Fifa is you can watch this clip made by a Dutch trade union. It starts nice and gently but ends up rather grim. Just as the fate is of those who have to work in Qatar to build the stadiums where Blatter can sit on the graves of the dead workers or better said: slaves. .
FICK FUFA!
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Shame :- A man with principles was always tilting at the windmill of Blatter and the underhand corruption. As much as we all know that all is not as it should be in the world of football unfortunately most of us are addicted to it in one form or another .
Coincidentally FUFA is the soccer governing body here in Uganda, and my oh my, if I told you that I have ever seen an organization more badly run and corrupt, it would be no worse than saying the pope is a Muslim.
Sadly all of football admin stinks of corruption.
Moanin’inho should be slippery , slimy and slithery candidate enough to win against Septic Bladder !
Figo ought to propose his name ! We’d all vote for him , and later throw tomatoes at him later!
Why wait ? lets do it now.
Any chance that FIFA would pass term limits for the President considering the number of candidates that ran against him and their support? Blatter is a plague that just keeps coming back.
For those that want a good laugh at Sepp Blatter, here’s a clip of John Oliver discussing the election
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhAta_OWGZk
I really expected Figo to go the distance, although he ( and the rest of us ) knew Blatter had the fix in place, and now he’s virtually guaranteed another five years. Wont set foot in the USA though. I wonder why.
I’ve long held the view (and still do) that the demise of a corrupt association such as FIFA, will only come about by one or two powerful footballing nations deciding to secede. Others would almost certainly follow in a domino effect and a new era emerge of honesty and integrity in football governance throughout our world.
Masterstroke
Is there still an issue with the FBI then?
This is a real shame.
My my, this sounds much like general elections in UK. There seems to be no difference really. How can we ever expect to get any common sense decisions?
256gunner, you may be surprised to know that the pope is indeed a muslim and a jew alongside being a christian too, and in the end none of them at all.
Well done figo, hopefully your time will come. Not sure Blatter will last the full term, we will need people like figo and some f the other candidates. not sure I agree with his praise of platini though.
The Americans are not as romantic as the Europeans. They will f**k him up. The FBI and CIA successfully wiped off the century old mafias from their map, what do you think they will do to Blatter under Obama administration? No wonder Paulo Maldini went over the Atlantic to buy Miami FC. Good luck to the legend though. Will be watching the new MSL team.
Brickfield, Porter: Don’t forget the eggs:)
Fascinating press conference and comments on football agents from AW yesterday.
Having to explain to hack that de-regulating agents makes no difference to the shambles admininistered by FUFA, explaining to a hack who knows better how agents work with hacks 🙂 priceless. Comedy gold.
I don’t think any of the hackn dwarves assembled have the footballs required to write an article following that thread. But they’ll be writing about, I don’t know, Melo to Arsenal tomorrow. At the least they are reliable. Or maybe predictable would be the correct word. I don’t know, I’m not a writer or journalist who works in football, who appears to have no idea how agents work (pull the other one!).