FIFA candidate Van Praag seeks support in South Korea

SEOUL, South Korea — FIFA presidential candidate Michael van Praag has visited South Korea’s football leaders seeking support for his challenge to Sepp Blatter.

With the election taking place on May 29 in Zurich, van Praag is stepping up his campaign and, in an interview with The Korea Times newspaper, was critical of the way the sport’s international governing body was being run.

“I’m very annoyed about the way that FIFA is operating,” Van Praag was quoted as saying. “In my part of the world, and also many other parts of the world, people started to dislike FIFA ... That is what we need to change. And if Mr Blatter stays for another four years, we will continue the exactly the same way.”

Van Praag, who promised immediate transparency if he is elected president, also questioned the decision to spend $27 million on a movie about FIFA, starring Hollywood star Tim Roth as Blatter.

“That is the money that belongs to the Korean, Chinese and Dutch football federation and everybody in the world,” he said. “I’m talking about if you divide $27 million by 209 member countries, that means every country contributes $129,000. That is the money that can be used for football development.”

Van Praag’s visit to Seoul comes days after tension was exposed at Asian Football Confederation meetings in Bahrain between the continental leadership, which supports Blatter, and Korea FA president Chung Mong-gyu, who was not allowed to address the congress before a vote to change election statutes.

“A big scandal,” said Van Praag, who attended the event. “A congress is there to be democratic and give everyone opportunities to speak about something. Of course if a member wishes to speak, you got to get him on the floor. So it was very, very unpleasant and humiliating experience that ([Chung] doesn’t deserve... and it was very impolite.”

Blatter is widely expected to extend his 17-year tenure as FIFA president by winning the May 29 election. He currently has three opponents: Van Praag of the Netherlands, HRH Prince Ali and former Portugal playmaker Luis Figo.

Meanwhile, Reuters reports, Argentina’s World Cup winning captain Diego Maradona launched a blistering attack on FIFA President Sepp Blatter, on Monday during the Soccerex Asian Forum, saying that world football’s governing body had descended into anarchy with the 79-year-old Swiss in charge.

With the FIFA presidential election less than a month away, Maradona, one of the greatest players to ever grace the game and the inspiration behind Argentina’s 1986 World Cup victory, said the time was long overdue for Blatter to go.

He said he would do all he could to help Prince Ali win the election.

“As the football world knows, inside FIFA there is total anarchy, where there is only one man who decides everything.

“But he knows absolutely nothing. Therefore it is time for a change. And it is so because even his colleagues should actually advise him to leave,” he said.

Maradona, 54, who was voted along with Pele the joint-best player of the 20th century by FIFA in 2000, said he believed that the continued presence of Blatter, who is seeking a fifth term as president, would continue to harm football.

“He has done a lot of damage to football since he has been there. It’s time for him to step aside and let us, who are full of strength, renovate football.”