Former Tottenham star David Ginola is planning to challenge Sepp Blatter for the presidency of football's world governing body FIFA with a campaign launch planned for Friday in London.

But whether the 47-year-old Frenchman has any realistic chance of getting the support he needs even to enter the race - let alone becoming the most powerful man in football - is in doubt.

The seriousness of his bid is also sure to be called into question because his launch is being co-ordinated by bookmakers Paddy Power - famous for brilliant PR stunts to advertise their business but not associated with significant campaigns in sports politics.

David Ginola is entering the race to become president of world football's governing body FIFA

Ginola is a regular contributor across a range of TV channels like BT Sport and the BBC

The M&C Saatchi PR company, acting on behalf of Paddy Power, has confirmed to The Associated Press that Ginola will launch his campaign in London on Friday.

The hurdles Ginola would need to clear to get to the start line are formidable. By January 29 he needs to prove to FIFA that he has played an 'active role' in football for at least two of the last five years - a condition for candidates.

Arguably more onerous is that he needs to show he has the support of five national associations from around the world.

Ginola told The Sun: 'It is time that football was refreshed.

'I know it will not be easy for me to be elected but I have to try.

Ginola played in the Premier League for Newcastle, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Everton before retiring in 2002

The Frenchman has until January 29 to prove he has played an 'active role' in football in two of last five years

Swiss incumbent Sepp Blatter is odds-on favourite to secure a fifth election victory

'I'm not interested in dwelling on the sins of the past, this is about taking football forward and putting supporters at the centre of the game.

'Football belongs to the people and they deserve to have a voice. We want transparency so that everyone knows where every penny goes. People need to be able to trust the decisions being made by those in charge.

'I'm doing this because I believe I can make a difference.

'I'm always being asked questions about what is needed to change Fifa. Well now I'm going to do something about it.'

Ginola is famous in England for his good looks and shampoo adverts as well as his sumptuous skills

Fellow Frenchman Jerome Champagne is also in the running for football's top job

FIFA vice-president Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan has also declared an interest in the job

Incumbent Blatter, 78, has confirmed he will run and is the huge odds-on favourite to win.

The election will take place in May at the FIFA Congress and three others have also declared an interest in the job — FIFA vice-president Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan, former FIFA official Jerome Champagne and the former head of Chilean football, Harold Mayne-Nicholls. The first two have formally declared they will stand.

Ginola, as famous in England for his good looks and shampoo adverts as for his sumptuous skills on the pitch, moved from Paris Saint-Germain to Newcastle in 1995. He later played for Tottenham, Aston Villa and Everton.

He did the 'double' in the Player of the Year awards in 1999, winning both the PFA title awarded by his peers and the Football Writers' award from journalists - despite that being the season of Manchester United's Treble.

Ginola is sure to receive wide support from many fans desperate for reform at FIFA - dogged by chronic corruption and serial controversie for years.