Candidates make final pitches ahead of crucial Fifa vote

The five men vying for the leadership of world soccer made their final eve-of-vote pitches on Thursday, outlining competing visions for the future of governing body FIFA as it tries to recover from the worst corruption scandal in its history.

Delegates from more than 200 countries will elect a new president on Friday to succeed Sepp Blatter of Switzerland, two days after Blatter and European soccer chief Michel Platini lost their appeals against bans for ethics violations.

Whoever takes over from Blatter, who ran FIFA for 17 years like a globe-trotting head of state, will inherit a very different job with a focus on crisis management. "The world is waiting and watching - this is the biggest milestone in the history of FIFA. It will decide if FIFA goes ahead as we want or if it spirals down," said Jordanian candidate Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein.

South Africa's Tokyo Sexwale described FIFA as "broken" and a damaged brand, though he also referred to some of those felled in the scandal as "friends we have lost".

Swiss candidate Gianni Infantino repeated his promise to offer each of FIFA's members $5 million to invest in the sport over a four-year period - more than double the $2.05 million per federation provided from 2011-14. He said this could be achieved "easily" by tackling the cost structure of FIFA.

Bahrain's Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, who along with Infantino is seen as a front-runner, was more cautious, speaking of a 'realistic' increase in funding. "For me, if the numbers are right, we can increase - but I am not ready to mortgage FIFA's future in winning an election."

French outsider Jerôme Champagne took a shot at Infantino's globe-trotting campaign by saying the election had been "unbalanced".

"I did not have a private jet to visit you, take a photo and then tweet and say I have got the endorsement," he said to laughter from delegates.

The two favourites were both upbeat. "I am feeling good and very positive. The support I am receiving fills me with confidence," Infantino told Reuters in an email while travelling between meetings.

A spokesman for his Bahraini rival said: "Sheikh Salman is very confident about tomorrow's vote."

CORRUPTION PROBES

FIFA was plunged into turmoil last year when several dozen current and former officials were indicted in the United States for corruption after an investigation spanning dozens of countries into wire fraud, money laundering and bribery.

Switzerland has also launched a criminal investigation. The probes have focused extensively on the awarding of lucrative broadcast and marketing rights to the world's most popular sport. They are also examining the process by which FIFA awarded the next two World Cups to Russia and Qatar.

Acting FIFA president Issa Hayatou appealed to FIFA members in what he called one of the most important weeks in the history of global football, urging them to support a package of reforms on governance. These include introducing term limits for top officials and requiring them to disclose their earnings.

"I urge each of you to support the reforms in full here this week, and then to implement them to their entirety at home," Hayatou said in an address aimed at the six confederations that run soccer around the world. "This will send a strong message that we have listened and that we are taking the action necessary to give football the foundation, and protection, it needs for the future."