KEIR RADNEDGE REPORTS: Zico will be out of luck as FIFA’s executive committee meets today and tomorrow in Zurich to consider thelatest turbulent events in the embattled life of the world football federation.

Earlier this week the former Brazilian World Cup star asked president Sepp Blatter to change the election rules by lowering the five-nominations bar for candidates and thus open the door to fringe contenders such as himself.

The 62-year-old claims he can count on the support of his own football confederation but is still chasing the four other written nominations before the candidacy submission deadline of October 26.

Zico warned that without a change in rules the election at an extraordinary congress in the Swiss city next February 26 would “lack legitimacy.”

But he will be out of luck.

The subject is not listed for discussion and, even if it were, the exco would be told by legal director Marco Villiger that, once the extraordinary elective congress was set for next February 26, then the applicable rules were set in stone.

Favourite to win the election is Michel Platini, the French president of European federation UEFA. Other heavyweights who have declared themselves as contenders are Jordan’s Prince Ali bin Al Hussein – defeated by Blatter in May – and South Korean Chung Mong-joon.

Other contenders struggling for nominations include former Nigeria captain Segun Odegbami, Liberia FA president Musa Bility, ex-Trinidad midfielder David Nakhid and Nigerian businessman Orji UZor Kalu.

South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale, head of FIFA’s Palestine-Israel monitoring panel, is still considering whether to run.

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