David Ginola plans to run for Fifa presidency against Sepp Blatter
- Published
Former France international David Ginola is to stand against Sepp Blatter for the Fifa presidency.
The 47-year-old is being paid £250,000 by a betting firm, which denies the campaign is a publicity stunt.
Ginola said: "We all know that the Fifa system isn't working."
To be eligible for any election, Ginola would need the support of five football associations and must show active involvement in football for two of the past five years.
In a video message on his campaign website,, external the former Newcastle and Tottenham midfielder, is inviting the public and other organisations to join 'Team Ginola'.
He added: "By joining Team Ginola you are saying 'yes' to a Fifa built on democracy, transparency and equality. You are saying 'yes' to a Fifa which cares about one thing - football."
Ginola's playing career |
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Won 17 French caps, played for a decade in his native country, including at Paris St-Germain, before signing for Newcastle for £2.5m in 1995. |
Joined Spurs for £2.5m in 1997, moving on to Aston Villa in 2000 and going on to finish his Premier League career at Everton in 2002. |
Ginola's bid has the support of pressure group ChangeFifa, which has long campaigned for new leadership at the top of the organisation.
However, when asked by journalists in London on Friday, Ginola was unable to name a single member of the Fifa executive committee and said he had not yet received endorsement for his campaign from any national association.
Meanwhile, Paddy Power communications director Rory Scott denied his betting company's support of Ginola was simply a publicity stunt.
"It is about providing David Ginola with a credible platform to launch his bid from," he told BBC Sport.
"This isn't a two-week campaign. We are in this for the long haul - we believe we will be on the ballot.
£2.3m Team Ginola budget - where most of the money will go | |
|---|---|
David Ginola fee £250,000 | Global media management £210,000 |
Campaign management team fees £250,000 | Legal fees and contingency £300,000 |
Advertising £565,000 | Content creation £250,000 |
"Once we get on the ballot paper, anything is possible."
The Team Ginola campaign is attempting to raise £2.3m to fund the challenge through contributions from the sponsor and supporters.
Nominations for the presidency of world football's governing body close on 29 January.
Fifa vice-president Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein and former diplomat Jerome Champagne, who joined Fifa in 1999, are the other candidates to announce they will stand.
Blatter, 78, has been Fifa president since 1998 and is seeking a fifth term in office.
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