Perhaps David Ginola will get the required nominations to run for FIFA President – perhaps not.
But I don’t think that those of us who despair about the manner in which FIFA is scarring the sport we love while remaining untouchable can afford to let the sound of the Frenchman’s common sense be drowned out by anyone in the media who’ve lost their soul, lost their cojones.
Why, when what we desperately need is a credible, supportable alternative to the tired, discredited, deplorable Sepp Blatter era, should lethargic, complacent cynicism rather than open-minded interest be the first reaction? It’s the kind of behaviour which the utterly discredited Blatter depends upon in order to rule. And keep ruling. Quasi-collaboration.
But whether Ginola is tripped up at the first hurdle or whether he storms to the presidency and boots Blatter out of the door in Zurich, some good has already been done. Someone of substance and worth has stood up, using the same kind of language about FIFA as fans all over the planet do. Usually in frustrated anger.
Why is FIFA free to do what it wants? How can a 78-year-old man around whose administration there have been numerous allegations of corruption be in the right shape to run the world game for another four years? At a time when it is reportedly under FBI investigation, why won’t the sport’s governing body force out corruption and adhere to a policy of transparency and accountability? How did a bidding process end up approving a World Cup in Qatar in 2022 when everyone knew it wasn’t fit for purpose, that it couldn’t be played in summer?
I call on those prejudiced by that process, most notably England, Australia, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to make formal their support and nominations in favour of Ginola. Let the man run. Let Blatter be answerable to Ginola’s manifesto.
I was invited to speak to the former Spurs and Newcastle winger yesterday afternoon and here’s what we said. Make your own mind up.
Graham Hunter: What’s broken about FIFA? What drives you to try and win this hugely important position in world football?
David Ginola: It was inspired by talking to people around me. Regarding FIFA behaviour and decisions, so many people told me: ‘We don’t understand anymore.’ There is no trust. Football decisions and decision makers must earn trust. I think that is why. If you want to make positive and fair decisions about football and its development, then people around the world need to understand why and how decisions are made. It must be a transparent process.
I knew it would be a difficult task obviously, but also very exciting and interesting; to make people confident that all the decisions made at the top of football are fair, well-explained, without controversy or doubt.
GH: What part does the theme of respect play in your choice to try to run for presidency?
DG: Respect is everything. I’ve spent most of my time in football, I dreamt about becoming a professional when I was only nine, I signed my first contract aged 19 and then for both good and bad I spent the following years in a very emotional football life. Passion is very important but the word respect is used a lot – it is said as a word, but there isn’t always the act of respect next to that word: respecting the game, the people; knowing that if we have had the chance to earn a living in the game it’s because millions of people buy season tickets or subscribe to TV broadcasters.
You must respect all that. Around the world it’s fans who have made football the greatest and most popular sport on earth. They should get the rewards from that.
Football is not just an elite bunch of people: football belongs to the people. Anyone, anywhere on the planet who loves the game. In FIFA you should be rewarded for what you do towards the people who make football, not rewarded for what you do towards yourself.
Football decision-making needs to be more approachable, something which makes more common sense to people. Shown as something very transparent. We need to demonstrate integrity, and dignity. As a person, as a decision maker. It’s not about yourself. Your personal position should be at the bottom of the list.
GH: I understand that you associate with the trend at Bayern Munich for incorporating their great ex footballers, Beckenbauer, Rummenigge, Sammer, even Hoeness into how that club is run? At Barcelona over the last 10 years there was youth, energy and vision from Laporta, Begiristain, Soriano, Rijkaard and Guardiola – are these themes similar to what you want to bring to your FIFA presidential candidacy?
DG: Yes, definitely. I read an article by Laporta recently suggesting that if he were in charge of PSG then he’d ‘immediately take on board David Ginola’ because he thought I’d represent as a man, as a symbol, as an ex-player what Parisian football needs.
I believe that one of the things Laporta’s Barcelona achieved was to put the formation and education of their players as young men before their formation as footballers. For players to be able to understand what life is all about, to understand what fame is all about, what making money is all about. How to be prepared and to cope. This philosophy is great because if you form the footballer before the man it’s leaves many more complications.
Speaking more broadly on that subject now, I think we in football would have a better understanding from fans around the world if we can improve the way we educate and teach developing players.
I’d like professional footballers to be more aware, via their education and formation, that the reason they are standing there on the pitch, playing football, doing the thing that they love most and being paid for it is simply because there are people, fans, who are paying good, hard-earned money to come to the stadium to watch that game. It’s imperative for those within football to comprehend and not ignore that. I always praise the fans and the people in the football infrastructure because they can make you great … they can change your life. I’m faithful to the concept of the debt we owe them and I’d love to see that more often being part of the mentality of modern football.
I want people to trust us in FIFA – to trust decisions. I want it to be clear that the decisions we’d make in charge of football would be fair, clear, sustainable and able to be backed by the majority of fans.
Take the example of Bayern. Of course, intelligent former footballers working in harmony at the top of the club for the good of the club is the best thing you can do. People like us know football inside out. You have people working on the financial side, on the marketing and so on, but as a former footballer it enables you to think not simply about the rectangle of the pitch but what football represents as an entity around the world. It allows you to make the right choices, to consider problems which might arise and to take decision not just because you think it’s right for you but right for the great majority of the people who are important – fans and players. You think more widely, consider more.
GH: Since retiring, you’ve acted, you’ve represented Red Cross, Unicef, you’ve produced award-winning wine, become a respected football analyst on television, advised a football club in France – it appears you put effort into projects and that people seem to trust you?
DG: Ask Red Cross and Unicef why they made those decisions to ask me to represent them. I guess it’s because they think I’m a man of integrity. When I speak, I’m honest … I’m a cool guy. ‘I’m a cool guy’ … that’s what represents me best. Saying ‘cool’ doesn’t mean I’m not serious or egotistical. But I’m down to earth, I’m respectful. Wherever you come from, whatever your creed or colour, it’s not a question for me. I’m very approachable. Very passionate. I think most of all it’s integrity. When people look deep into your eyes this is what they see. This is who I am. And I hate talking about myself this much!
GH: Do you really believe you can tolerate the dirty world of football politics? Can you genuinely cope with that?
DG: I understand, but this is exactly what we want to change! We want to show that a world association like FIFA can be trusted. That people can feel: ‘Wow! what a change!’ We had ‘X’ before but now we have people who actually are transparent in everything they do. You have to think of it like a charity. In a charity, you do things for others. Spending money for others, do the right thing at the right time for the people who need it. Simple as that. No politics. No hiding, no secrecy. As president I’d want to be able look at myself in the mirror and know I have nothing to worry about. That we made the right decision and we’ll explain it to you. Our administration would explain what we considered and why we chose this way over that. People have a problem with FIFA because they don’t explain openly enough. And then when they do explain, it’s not clear. Not clear at all. There’s controversy. This is the thing that shouldn’t happen in football. Football is a sport, not politics. There’s politics when money is involved, but I want people to understand that FIFA, under us, can be crystal clear. Sport is for the people – I want to give it back to them.