No pay, less power: Bahraini sheikh’s FIFA presidency pitch

In this Friday, Nov. 13, 2015, photo, FIFA presidential candidate Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain answers questions during an interview with The Associated Press in Manama, Bahrain. Sheikh Salman has accused rights groups of mounting a “dirty tricks” campaign against him while insisting he played no part in the punishment of players who protested against the ruling monarchy in this tiny island kingdom. The accusations, which Sheikh Salman denounced as a politically-motivated “bunch of lies” have dominated the public debate around the start of his campaign to succeed Sepp Blatter in the Feb. 26 election. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali) In this Friday, Nov. 13, 2015, photo, FIFA presidential candidate Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain answers questions during an interview with The Associated Press in Manama, Bahrain. Sheikh Salman has accused rights groups of mounting a “dirty tricks” campaign against him while insisting he played no part in the punishment of players who protested against the ruling monarchy in this tiny island kingdom. The accusations, which Sheikh Salman denounced as a politically-motivated “bunch of lies” have dominated the public debate around the start of his campaign to succeed Sepp Blatter in the Feb. 26 election. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

By Associated Press November 16, 2015 6 min read

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) – A Bahraini sheikh is going for simplicity and fan-appeal with headline pledges to transform a discredited FIFA: Relinquish much of the power Sepp Blatter built up over 17 years at FIFA and take no salary.

Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa was a late, seemingly reluctant candidate to lead FIFA’s recovery from a corruption crisis that is likely to see fresh revelations of wrongdoing emerging long after election day in February.

“I don’t want too much power with the president – the power has to be shared,” Sheikh Salman said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I believe in doing things in a different way, not being centralized where the president has to do every detail in running the business.”

That means taking no money for being the face of FIFA.

“I don’t want to be an executive president,” the sheikh said. “And if I’m not an executive president I don’t see how I do deserve to be paid.”