“Thanks for inviting us from CNN to Madrid. What have you got to tell us?”
Luis Figo:
“Well, today is important because I will present my candidacy for the president of FIFA.”
AT:
“Big, big announcement, what made you decide to want to try to become the next FIFA president?”
LF:
“The important thing is the love of football. I care about football so what I am seeing regarding the image of FIFA, not only now but in the past years, I don’t like it.
“I’ve been talking with so many people. Important people in football, football players, managers, presidents of federation, all these things they have to be done.
“Last year was a World Cup year and I was in Brazil and I saw the reaction of the fans regarding the image of FIFA. I think something had to be changed. A change in leadership, change in governance, in transparency and in solidarity, so I think it is the moment for that.”
AT:
“You say you don’t like what people have been saying to you about FIFA’s image. What have they been telling you?”
LF:
–
“I think that is most important. I think we have to care about the future of football. Try to restore the leadership, try to restore the governance, how the organization is right now, being transparent. And we saw that with the federations, I think this is the point that make me to give this step.”
AT:
“Is Sepp Blatter beatable?”
LF:
“Well I think no one is untouchable in this life and if you think like that you’re wrong. Of course this is a person that is running the organization for so long, since 1998 and for a lot of people he may be the favorite but I have to hope.
“I can say that for me it’s a fantastic challenge to try to convince people to follow me and to support me.
“I have so many examples in football that play against the strongest team, can play against the weakest team, and you never know who is going to win. Sometimes you think that you’re going to lose and you win, and sometimes you think we’re going to win and you lose. That is the beauty of sport. That is the beauty of this challenge.”
AT:
“This is harder than being a goal down, with five minutes to go, isn’t it?”
LF:
“Well it’s not easy, you have to believe. The impossible is nothing in this life.”
