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David Ginola’s attempt to take over as FIFA president may be scuppered

Former French football player David Ginola waits for the begining of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg football match Paris Saint-Germain v
Image: David Ginola: Hopes to stand against FIFA president Sepp Blatter

David Ginola’s attempt to take over as FIFA president from Sepp Blatter could be scuppered by the body’s gambling rules.

FIFA has issued an election guide ahead of Thursday’s deadline for the position, which stresses that official candidates are bound by its ethics code.

One regulation, designed to protect the integrity of football, states: "Persons bound by this code shall be forbidden from taking part in, either directly or indirectly, or otherwise being associated with betting, gambling."

Ginola's campaign is being organised by the bookmaker Paddy Power, which is paying the former France international £250,000 to seek the FIFA post.

When asked if the betting rule applied to presidential campaigns, a FIFA spokesman said: "It will be part of the eligibility assessment of prospect FIFA presidential candidates by the Ad-Hoc Electoral Committee in accordance with the electoral regulations."

Ginola's activities would only fall under the code if he gained five nominations from FIFA's 209 national federations by Thursday.

A statement from the bookmaker read: "Both the heading and the content of the rule clearly relate to the integrity of football matches and competitions."

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