DEBBIE HEWITT is vying for Fifa’s British vice-presidency in an effort to restore England’s dominance in global football.
The position of British vice president at Fifa is critical in ensuring that English football has a say in the world’s most powerful global football organisation.
The post of British vice president has been in existence since the four Home Nations joined Fifa in 1946, and it has not been without controversy.
Greg Clarke was the last English representative, but he was compelled to resign in 2020 after making a string of offensive remarks. Clarke’s short tenure was the first by an Englishman since Geoff Thompson’s departure in 2011.
Northern Ireland’s David Martin presently holds the position. The notorious dispute over the ‘OneLove’ armbands at the Qatar World Cup 2022, which marred England’s opening game, reinforced England’s lack of influence at Fifa.
The FA thinks they must retake the position, which Uefa head Aleksander Ceferin will actively back because Fifa requires a strong English voice. In April, all 55 Uefa members will decide for the next nominee.
Debbie Hewitt is the current FA Chair and a British entrepreneur and sports executive.
She is the FA’s first Chairwoman in the organisation’s 157-year existence.
In the Fifa Council, the 43-year-old is now vying for Uefa British Vice President.
Hewitt was the RAC’s chief executive officer from 2006 to 2008. She was awarded an MBE in 2011 for her services to industry and the public sphere.
She has served as non-executive head of BGL Group, Visa Europe, and White Stuff since 2018.
Football has always been her love, and she is a lifelong Liverpool supporter.
Following the departure of the disgraced Greg Clarke in 2021, she was unanimously elected as the FA’s first chairperson.
Who is her husband?
She is married to Paul Hewitt, a retired RAC finance head.
The pair is the parents of twins.
