FIFA set to elect new president next friday

The world football community descends on Zurich for the second time in nine months to elect a FIFA president, approve a reform package to restore the credibility of the battered ruling body. 
Outgoing Joseph Blatter cannot conduct as originally planned the February 26 extraordinary congress because he has been banned for eight years from football by FIFA's ethics committee in connection with a "disloyal payment" which is also part of a criminal probe, according to the German News Agency (dpa). 
Blatter's era ends after four decades at FIFA, 18 as its president. 
Acting president Issa Hayatou will instead chair the congress at the Hallenstadion venue where Blatter was originally re-elected for a fifth term on May 29, only to announce four days later that he would hand back his mandate at the extraordinary congress. 
Hayatou said the election would "open a new era for FIFA and for the future of football around the world" while the reforms "will start the process of rebuilding confidence and re-establishing FIFA as a modern and trusted professional sports organisation." Hayatou will also be in charge at an executive committee meeting at FIFA headquarters on Wednesday which kicks off defining days for football governance. 
Four of the six confederations hold final meetings ahead of the congress Thursday while Europe's UEFA has an extraordinary congress the same day which will deal mainly with administrative matters such as the annual financial report. 
The candidate of powerful UEFA is now its general secretary Gianni Infantino of Switzerland. 
Infantino is considered a frontrunner along with Bahrain's Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa who presides over the Asian confederation. 
Jordan's Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, who lost the 2015 election against Blatter, former FIFA deputy general secretary Jerome Champagne of France, and South African Tokyo Sexwale are the other candidates but considered outsiders for the secret ballot among the 209 FIFA member federations. 
No one is expected to garner a two-thirds majority of 140 in the first round if all members vote while only a simple majority of 105 is required in the following rounds. 
Infantino has the backing of UEFA and its 53 members, South America's CONMEBOL (10 votes) and should also get most of the 35 votes from the CONCACAF confederation for North, Central America and the Caribbean. 

Source: QNA