Prince Ali’s lawyers ask for Friday’s FIFA election to be suspended

Prince Ali‘s lawyers have lodged a formal request for the Court of Arbitration for Sport to suspend Friday’s FIFA presidential election due to a dispute over voting arrangements.

The 40-year-old is one of five candidates running to replace outgoing president Sepp Blatter, who has held office for just under 18 years.

Prince Ali recently asked FIFA’s election commission to use transparent voting booths at congress, but his request was denied.

In response to the refusal, Prince Ali’s Paris-based lawyers released a statement, which read: “FIFA opposed our request for an accelerated procedure so that these questions could be decided before February 26.

“It was therefore natural that Prince Ali goes to the CAS.”

FIFA has been dogged by allegations of corruption over the past year and Blatter himself is serving an eight-year ban from all football activity.