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Can challenger Prince Ali be installed as FIFA president?

June 03, 2015 12:02 IST

Prince Ali bin Al Hussein

Members of the Jordanian women's national soccer team welcome Jordan's Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, left, upon his arrival at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman. Photograph: Muhammad Hamed/Reuters

The Jordanian FA has begun legal inquiries into whether defeated FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali bin Al Hussein could replace Sepp Blatter without the need for a second election, it said on Tuesday.

Blatter unexpectedly announced on Tuesday that he was quitting as FIFA chief, just four days after he was re-elected to a fifth term of office.

Jordan's Prince Ali stood against Blatter but withdrew after gaining 73 votes to Blatter's 133 in the first round of Friday's vote.

Jordanian FA vice president Salah Sabra told his country's news agency Petra that his organisation was investigating whether he could take the reins at world soccer's governing body following Blatter's resignation.

"We started legal inquiries to find out the possibility of Prince Ali becoming FIFA president based on the fact that Blatter has stepped down from the election race, which was held last Friday, and therefore the legitimacy to the presidency," Sabra said.

“The fall of the head of corruption in FIFA which is represented in Blatter is nothing but to confirm the right vision of Prince Ali, who pointed out the need to root out corruption in order to improve world football," he added.

“Prince Ali during his presidency campaign said there is a large amount of corruption in FIFA that we should fight, and this has become clear after Blatter’s resignation."

Prince Ali later stopped short of putting himself forward immediately for election, but said he would contest a second vote if he had the backing of other associations.

"I have to talk to other national associations and see how they feel about this. I think it is a bit early, but definitely, if they want me to do it, I will do it for sure," he told CNN.

"I am at the service of football. I love the sport and always have. So we have to wait and see what happens. This was news to me as it was to everyone else."

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Source: REUTERS
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