ESPN Presents: FIFA in Crisis – A Presidential Election
Bob Ley Anchors Weeklong Series of Outside the Lines Shows; Jeremy Schaap and Gabriele Marcotti Report from Zurich; Extensive Coverage on ESPNFC and ESPN FC TV
ESPN will provide comprehensive, weeklong coverage of the upcoming FIFA Presidential Election with daily Outside the Lines shows hosted by Bob Ley, live reports from Zurich, Switzerland, and more.
Coverage begins Sunday, Feb. 21, at 8 p.m. ET. with Jeremy Schaap’s critically acclaimed E:60 Reports documentary on former FIFA President Sepp Blatter. The one-hour program – updated since its original airing in May 2015 – examines the most powerful man in sports, who was banned in December for eight years by FIFA, the organization he served as secretary general (1981-1998) and President (1998-2015).
ESPN FC, the daily soccer news, information and highlights program on ESPNEWS (weekdays at 6 p.m.) will air special editions previewing the FIFA elections, Tuesday, Feb. 23 – Friday, Feb. 26 on ESPN2 at 5 p.m.
Coverage will culminate Friday, Feb. 26, with SportsCenter carrying and reporting live the proceedings at the emergency FIFA Congress in Zurich when the new FIFA president is elected. The five FIFA presidential candidates include:
- Prince Ali bin al-Hussein (Jordan), President of the Jordan Football Association;
- Jérôme Champagne (France), former FIFA executive from 1999-2010;
- Gianni Infantino (Italy/Switzerland), UEFA General Secretary;
- Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa (Bahrain), President of the Asian Football Confederation; and
- Tokyo Sexwale (South Africa), businessman.
ESPN TV programming schedule for FIFA Election coverage (subject to change):
| Date | Time (ET) | Program | Network |
| Sun, Feb 21 | 8-9 p.m. | E:60 Reports: Sepp Blatter Documentary | ESPN2 |
| Mon, Feb 22 | 1:30-2 p.m. | Outside the Lines – FIFA in Crisis | ESPN |
| Tue, Feb 23 | 1:30-2 p.m. | Outside the Lines – FIFA in Crisis | ESPN |
| 5-5:30 p.m. | ESPN FC TV | ESPN2 | |
| Wed, Feb 24 | 1:30-2 p.m. | Outside the Lines – FIFA in Crisis | ESPN |
| 5-5:30 p.m. | ESPN FC TV | ESPN2 | |
| Thu, Feb 25 | 1:30-2:30 p.m. | Outside the Lines – FIFA in Crisis
Pre-Election Special |
ESPN |
| 5-5:30 p.m. | ESPN FC TV | ESPN2 | |
| Fri, Feb 26 | 3:30 a.m. | Extraordinary FIFA Congress (live feed) | ESPN3 |
| 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | SportsCenter Special – FIFA Election | ESPN | |
| 1:30-2:30 p.m. | Outside the Lines – FIFA Election | ESPN | |
| 5-5:30 p.m. | ESPN FC TV | ESPN2 |
Commentators:
- Bob Ley – host, throughout the week
- Jeremy Schaap and Gabriele Marcotti – reporting from Zurich, Switzerland, Thursday, Feb. 25 and Friday, Feb. 26
Pundits:
- Julie Foudy – Former U.S. Men’s Women’s National Team captain and soccer analyst
- Shaka Hislop – 2006 FIFA World Cup goalkeeper for Trinidad and Tobago and ESPN FC analyst
- Jorge Ramos – ESPN’s leading Spanish-language soccer commentator
- Fernando Palomo – ESPN Deportes soccer journalist and commentator
- Taylor Twellman – ESPN’s lead match analyst
- Ian Darke – ESPN’s lead English-language play-by-play commentator
Guests:
- Abby Wambach – former U.S. Women’s National Team captain and 2015 Women’s World Cup champion
- ESPN the Magazine senior writers Shaun Assael and Brett Forrest – co-authors of the magazine’s investigative story, “The FBI vs. FIFA” (on newsstands tomorrow)
- Guido Tognoni – longtime FIFA insider and former marketing advisor
FIFA Presidential Elections on www.ESPNFC.com:
Marcotti and journalist Vivek Chaudhary will be in Zurich reporting for ESPNFC.com. Other ESPN Digital and Print highlights:
- ESPN the Magazine: The FBI vs. FIFA
- Blatter back in Zurich for appeal against FIFA ban
- FIFA Scandal: What you need to know
- FIFA Presidential Candidates: Who are they and what do they offer?
- Video: From power to plea deals
- Marcotti: What’s at Stake for FIFA and the sport of football?
- Marcotti: Why fans should care about the election?
- ESPN the Magazine’s Brett Forrest on the two leading candidates
- ESPN.com’s Vivek Chaudhary: Top 10 Things You Need to Know
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