Mohamed bin Hammam Withdraws From Fifa Election Campaign

Mohamed bin Hammam has pulled himself out of the running for the presidential election for Fifa, in order to clear his name amid speculation with alleged bribery within football’s world governing body. 

Both Bin Hammam and Jack Warner face allegations of bribery. While Blatter is accused of knowing about the bribery.

The president of the Asian Football Confederation, Bin Hammam, and his rival in the election, current Fifa president Sepp Blatter, are both under investigation.

He said: "I pray that my withdrawal will not be tied to the investigation held by the Fifa Ethics Committee as I will appear before the Ethics Committee to clear my name from the baseless allegations that have been made against me.

"I promise those who stood by me that I will walk with my head held high and will continue to fight for the good of the game.

"I would like to offer my thanks and appreciation to all Member Associations and individuals who supported me. I hope that they will not receive my decision with disappointment and frustration.
"I have a special thank you to my friend and colleague Jack Warner for his unlimited support. I am sorry to see that he has to suffer because of me, but I am promising him that I will be with him all the way through thick and thin.
"I look forward to working closely with my colleagues to restore Fifa's reputation to what it should be - a protector of the game that has credibility through honesty, transparency and accountability."

Bin Hammam added: "I made the decision to run for the Fifa presidency because I was and remain committed to change within Fifa.

"I set out my goals and ambitions clearly - to further the cause of democracy within Fifa - through a commitment to transparency and accountability; through a commitment to expand the number of officials and nations involved in decision-making processes.

"In addition to this, I wanted to spark a debate about change in Fifa. For the good of football, I wanted the future to be bright for our world's governing body and for it to adapt to the ever-changing world we live in today.

"However, recent events have left me hurt and disappointed - on a professional and personal level."

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