Prince Ali vows to ‘open the books’ if elected FIFA head

FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali Bin Hussein has said he will make public all financial documents at soccer’s world governing body if he is elected.

In an interview with Japan’s Kyodo news agency, the Jordanian royal said he would lift the lid on any previously undisclosed documents, including any payments made to top FIFA officials.

“I will open the books completely,” Prince Ali said.

“I believe people have a right to know. I think it’s a job that has to be recognised and if you want to have accountability, you need to know what’s there and therefore you can judge.

“Salaries, finances, what have you, that should all be open. Why not? People want it to be open.”

Prince Ali is one of five men that have been approved as presidential candidates for next February’s election.

He lost out to Sepp Blatter in the last presidential election in May and is running again on a manifesto pledging to restore the reputation of the scandal-ridden governing body.

“The organization itself, FIFA, it’s not broken. But it is at rock bottom and we can build up definitely,” he said.

“But we have to be open, we have to be transparent - and not in words but in deeds. I think that’s what people want and we have to have a new outlook in the way we work.”