FOOTBALL – Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramon Vega said yesterday he intends to stand in next year’s Fifa presidential election against fellow Swiss Gianni Infantino, becoming the first candidate to publicly declare his ambition to challenge the incumbent.
Infantino, who is seeking re-election in March, has faced mounting opposition since his failed attempt in July to bring private investors into a new Fifa commercial entity holding rights linked to competitions including the World Cup.
Vega, 55, represented Switzerland from 1993 to 2001 and enjoyed a club career that included spells with Cagliari, Spurs, Celtic and Watford.
He won the League Cup with Spurs in 1999 before helping Celtic complete a domestic treble in the 2000-01 season, lifting the Scottish Premier League, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup.
“My purpose is straightforward: to serve football and the people who give the game its life,” Vega said in his manifesto.
“I am standing to reunite the global football family, deliver genuine and lasting reform, modernise Fifa for the 21st century, restore stability and credibility, and rebuild the trust that our game urgently needs.”
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