London - Former world footballer of the year Luis Figo has the backing of his Portuguese compatriot Jose Mourinho in his unlikely bid for the Fifa presidency.
Figo, not known as a political figure, announced his candidature in an increasingly crowded field on Wednesday - 24 hours before the deadline - and has the five nominations needed, as well as the support of the Chelsea boss.
The endorsement from Mourinho, once described as the “enemy of football” by UEFA’s head of refereeing, may not sway too many of the voters from the 209 football territories when the ballot is staged at the Fifa Congress in Zurich on May 28.
But it certainly gave Figo’s embryonic campaign some extra impetus compared to his rivals - Dutch football chief Michael van Praag, Prince Ali of Jordan plus no-hopers Jerome Champagne and David Ginola - trying to unseat Sepp Blatter.
Mourinho said: “Luis Figo’s candidacy is a great step forward for football. He will be a president focused on football and its general improvement, acting closely with all federations.”
Southampton boss Ronald Koeman also came out in support of Figo on Wednesday, despite there being a contender in Dutch compatriot Van Praag. Koeman said: “I know him personally and I know that this is a decision based on the need of giving a new direction to an institution that has suffered extensive damage in the past years.”
Former Barcelona and Real Madrid star Figo, who has at least served on the UEFA football committee since his playing retirement, said: “Football has given me so much during my life and I want to give something back to the game.”
Daily Mail