Former Switzerland captain Ramon Vega says the determination that helped him win the League Cup with Tottenham Hotspur in 1999 despite playing the final with a broken ankle will carry him to victory in his campaign for the FIFA presidency.
The 55-year-old former central defender, who made more than 60 Premier League appearances and also played in Serie A for Cagliari and on loan at Celtic, has attempted to run for the FIFA presidency in 2015, 2019 and 2023. He now believes he can beat Gianni Infantino when FIFA's 211 member federations choose their leader next March.
Vega told Reuters via Zoom from Dubai that his combination of playing experience, business acumen and integrity makes him the right person to unite supporters, administrators and players. "I'm a football player, okay?" he said. "If as a football player I go to a cup final and I believe I'm going to lose, I'd better hang my boots up before I go to Wembley Stadium. The election is the same philosophy. I'm here to win. You need to have courage and determination."
To get on the ballot, Vega needs the backing of at least five national federations ahead of next Wednesday's nomination deadline, along with proof he has recently worked in a soccer role. He would not say who is endorsing him but claims support across every continent, built up over a decade of self-funded visits to more than 140 countries.
Vega said he holds no personal grudge against Infantino but accused his fellow Swiss of becoming an autocrat driven by ego. "Let's be honest, selling off the World Cup behind the back of the FIFA Council, the whole FIFA family, it's a full betrayal," he said. "Morally and ethically it is unacceptable." He added that if Infantino had the courage, he would admit his mistake publicly and resign.
Earlier this year Infantino had widely been expected to stand unopposed in Rabat next March, but that changed after details of his FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme emerged in July, shortly after the World Cup. The plan involved selling off a stake in FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup, and angered soccer administrators in Europe, the Americas and Asia. Infantino has since accepted he made mistakes in how he communicated the plan and indicated openness to an independent review of FIFA's governance system.
Vega was the first to emerge as a potential rival when he announced his candidacy a month ago, with Japan's former FA chief Kozo Tashima the only other declared challenger since. "I have had a very positive reaction," Vega said of the response to his travels. "Historically, FIFA has never had a player at the top. I was a supporter, I came inside as a player, now I am a supporter again. I have empathy and that's why I'm ready to serve the game and unite all of these people."
Infantino remains the favourite to win a fourth term after shoring up support in recent months, though sources with knowledge of the matter say European soccer's governing body UEFA is still searching for another challenger before the deadline.
