Greg Dyke: Prince Ali can beat Sepp Blatter in FIFA vote
Thursday 28 May 2015 13:48, UK
Greg Dyke has told Sky Sports News HQ Sepp Blatter can be beaten if FIFA's presidential election goes ahead on Friday.
UEFA has called for the vote to be postponed in the wake of Wednesday's revelations, and its member associations are meeting on Thursday to discuss a boycott of the entire FIFA congress in Zurich.
But FA chairman Dyke, who called on Blatter to quit on the day seven FIFA officials were arrested as part of a United States-led corruption investigation, believes this week's events could help deliver rival candidate Prince Ali bin Al Hussein to power.
He said: "Prince Ali was pretty confident before the events of yesterday. I suspect he's even more confident now."
Asked whether the election should be postponed he said: "The UEFA position will be decided by all of us. Personally I think probably not because I think Prince Ali could win, in which case we've achieved what we came here to do which is to say goodbye to Mr Blatter."
Dyke's optimism about the election is being shared by his Scottish FA counterpart Stewart Regan, who said: "Prince Ali has now come into focus and from conversations in the UEFA hotel last night is being seen as a very credible candidate - and a potential candidate to unite other confederations as well."
But Blatter retains the support of the Confederation of African Football, which has pledged to back the president en masse and on Thursday said the election should go ahead as planned.
Prince Ali issued two statements on Wednesday after it emerged two separate FIFA-related criminal investigations had begun - the US-led operation and a Swiss probe into the bidding processes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
The first statement referred to "a sad day for football" while the second demanded an end to the "crisis" engulfing football's governing body.
I think Prince Ali could win, in which case we've achieved what we came here to do which is to say goodbye to Mr Blatter.
“We cannot continue with the crisis in FIFA," said the Jordanian, who is currently serving as one of the organisation's seven vice-presidents. "A crisis that has been ongoing and is not just relevant to the events of today.
"FIFA needs leadership that governs guides and protects our national associations. Leadership that accepts responsibility for its actions and does not pass blame.
"Leadership that restores confidence in the hundreds of millions of football fans around the world.”
The impact of this week's events in Zurich continue to stretch far beyond the world of football, meanwhile, with Russian president Vladimir Putin accusing the US of acting "beyond its jurisdiction".
Putin called Wednesday's arrests a "clear attempt" to disrupt Blatter's bid for a fifth term and said Russia would continue to support the president.
The FA's support for Prince Ali has the backing of Prime Minister David Cameron, whose spokesman said Downing Street was "squarely behind" the stance.
