Portuguese legend Luis Figo has declared his candidacy for the FIFA presidency race, and already has the required nominations. Speaking to CNN Figo said he decided to act after the FIFA ethics reports into the Russia and Qatari was not published.
After that report was not published I think that was the moment of change and the moment I thought that something had to be done.
If you are transparent and if you ask for an investigation, a report, which you have nothing to hide, why don't you make public that report? If you have nothing to hide about that, you have to do it.
[Publishing the report] is the easy thing to do if all the people is doubting what happened. If it came from FIFA to order that report and after that you don't publish, it is not a good decision.
Unlike the farcical David Ginola bid, Figo will not be paid and is running for the presidency solely based on his love for the game.
I care about football, so what I'm seeing regarding the image of FIFA -- not only now but in the past years -- I don't like it.
If you search FIFA on the internet you see the first word that comes out: scandal -- not positive words. It's that we have to change first and try to improve the image of FIFA. Football deserves much better than this.
Figo will challenge Blatter, Prince Ali of Jordan, Jerome Champagne, Michael Van Praag of the Dutch FA as well as Ginola, albeit there is no chance of Ginola ending up on the ballot. With so many challengers for the Presidency it is likely Blatter will retain his seat, the multitude of other candidates will serve only to split the anti-Blatter vote.
