FIFA presidential candidate Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim al Khalifa has denied claims he was involved in the torture of footballers as the world-governing body prepared to reveal the final list of contenders to succeed Sepp Blatter.
Shaikh Salman was one of eight hopefuls to come forward before the deadline for candidates wishing to stand in the February 26 election passed at midnight on Monday.
Another leading contender, the 62-year-old South African anti-apartheid campaigner Tokyo Sexwale, launched his campaign on Tuesday as he promised to bring “transparency and accountability” to the scandal-tainted governing body of world football.
Sexwale and the Bahraini royal Shaikh Salman, the head of the Asian Football Confederation, confirmed their bids on Monday as UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino also entered the running to blow the race wide open.
The 49-year-old Shaikh Salman can expect widespread support from the vast Asian Confederation, but he has already had to defend himself against criticism by human rights campaigners who have accused him of involvement in the arrest and torture of footballers when he was head of the Bahrain Football Association.
“These are false, nasty lies that have been repeated again and again in the past and the present,” he told the BBC in an interview.
“I cannot deny something that I haven’t done.
“Such accusations are not just damaging, it’s really hurting. Some people have agenda on their table.”
Shaikh Salman was head of the Bahrain FA in 2011 when scores of people were killed as security forces in the country put down mass Shia-led protests calling for reforms.
Rights groups say he helped identify players involved in the protests and did nothing to protect them from abuses.
FIFA’s electoral committee is set to meet on Tuesday to study each bid and the integrity of the candidates, with the exception of UEFA chief Michel Platini, who must wait until the end of a 90-day ban in January.
Sexwale, who was once jailed alongside Nelson Mandela, serving 13 years of an 18-year sentence on Robben Island on terrorism charges, vowed to “follow the money” to rid football’s ruling body of corruption after recent scandals.
“What has been broken in FIFA is the ability to follow money,” he told a press conference.
“It is about good financial management, control systems, making sure things are done and there is a lot of transparency and accountability.”
– UEFA back Infantino –
Platini is currently serving a 90-day ban as investigations continue into a 1.8 million euro ($2 million) payment received from FIFA in 2011 without a written contract, and the announcement that Infantino will run leaves the former France star in an uncomfortable position.
“We believe that Gianni Infantino has all of the qualities required to tackle the major challenges ahead and to lead the organisation on a path of reform to restore FIFA’s integrity and credibility,” said UEFA in a statement on Monday.
“We are delighted that Gianni has agreed to stand and he knows that he has our full support in his campaign to become FIFA President.”
Erstwhile favourite Platini officially remains a contender pending an examination of his candidacy when his ban ends on January 5.
Ten days ago, UEFA had pointedly failed to express explicit backing for its president after a crisis meeting at their headquarters in Nyon.
Swiss lawyer Infantino’s announcement casts doubt over Platini’s support within UEFA and poses the question on whether Infantino is being presented as a Plan B in case the former France star is prevented from standing.
FIFA’s electoral committee must judge the integrity of all candidates, meaning Platini’s bid could be compromised by his ban.
Platini’s lawyers confirmed he had had a first appeal against his ban rejected on Monday, but the case is still to go before FIFA’s appeals committee and his lawyers said they remained “convinced the appeals will eventually show his complete integrity and restore all his rights.”
Other confirmed candidates include the Jordanian Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, the 39-year-old brother of Jordan’s King Abdullah who was the only adversary to Blatter at the previous election in May this year and can boast that he took the veteran Swiss to a second round of voting before withdrawing.
Then there is 57-year-old French former diplomat Jerome Champagne, who spent 11 years working for FIFA between 1999 and 2010.
Unlike his previous bid in May, he has managed to get the necessary five signatures from national associations.
But he appears to lack the necessary clout, a problem also faced by David Nakhid, the former Trinidad and Tobago captain.
In addition, Liberian FA chief Musa Bility left it until Monday to confirm that he had entered the race.