FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali says new leadership is needed

Published May. 27, 2015 10:39 a.m. ET

foxsports

Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan says the arrests of seven FIFA officials in Zurich show that the world soccer body needs new leadership.

Prince Ali is the only candidate challenging FIFA chief Sepp Blatter in the presidential election Friday for the world soccer body -- an election that the 79-year-old Blatter is expected to win handily for a fifth term.

Prince Ali says "we cannot continue with the crisis in FIFA."

In his statement, the prince said "FIFA needs leadership that governs, guides and protects our national associations. ... Leadership that restores confidence in the hundreds of millions of football fans around the world."

FIFA said Wednesday that the election will still go ahead. However, the executive committee of UEFA, the European soccer body, says it will discuss later Wednesday if it will urge that the election be postponed.