Prince Ali believes he can win FIFA presidency with 'clean' vote

Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, who was beaten by FIFA President Sepp Blatter in the May election, believes he could yet take the top job in world football - provided the process was 'done correctly'.

The Jordanian denied Blatter the required majority in the first round of voting on May 30 but stepped aside before the second round; four days later Blatter dramatically announced plans to quit as dual American and Swiss criminal inquiries into football escalated.

Blatter is entering the final months of his curtailed fifth term and the prince said the 79-year-old incumbent has to take some responsibility for the current corruption crisis despite not being directly implicated.

The prince said: "He should have stepped down a while ago if he had the best interests of football at heart.

"Right now we need a candidate who is forward thinking, with new ideas who is not tainted by the past... if the election is done correctly, cleanly and properly, I believe I can win."

And the former FIFA vice-president, who was supported in the election vote by current favourite Michel Platini, believes the UEFA president would be the wrong man for the job.

He said: "FIFA is in crisis right now and we need a new beginning. Mr Platini's introduction into football governance was as a protege for Sepp Blatter, that's a reality.

"FIFA requires a candidate who really believes in reform and true transparency, not as a slogan because that is very fashionable right now.

"I have sat down and talked with him and listened to his ideas and I think it's responsible to guarantee the future is different from the past and therefore I was not very encouraged."

Expanding on what transparency should look like at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, the prince told delegates: "You take the locks off the doors and open the windows. There is no need for secrecy."

The deadline to gain the five required nominations from federations to stand in the February election is October 26.

Fourteen officials have been indicted by US authorities as part of a wide-ranging investigation into bribery and financial wrongdoing, including some of Prince Ali's former FIFA executive committee colleagues.