David Ginola’s shady Fifa presidency bid seems to be nothing more than a publicity stunt after it was revealed yesterday that he was being paid £250,000 by bookmaker Paddy Power to stand against Sepp Blatter.

Ginola and Paddy Power are urging members of the public to support and contribute to the bid, needing to raise £2.3 million to run the “Team Ginola” campaign.

The 47-year-old said: “I’m standing because like you, I love football.

“Whether you are on the terraces or on the pitch we all know that the Fifa system isn’t working.

“The game needs to change but I can’t change it on my own. I need you to stand up and change it with me. I need you in my team.

“By joining Team Ginola you are saying ‘yes’ to a Fifa built on democracy, transparency and equality. You are saying ‘yes’ to a Fifa which cares about one thing — football.”

While the former Tottenham winger may have good intentions, he seemed ill prepared in his press conference yesterday.

Ginola was unable to name a single member of the world governing body’s executive committee and has not received any endorsements for his campaign from any national association — at least five must back him by the January 29 deadline if he is fulfil the criteria to stand at the election in May.

Hoping to stand against Blatter is Fifa vice-president Prince Ali Bin al Hussein and deputy secretary-general Jerome Champagne.

Ginola’s bid is also backed by ChangeFifa, who have campaigned against Blatter and has called for a change at the top of the organisation since 2010.

However, he must prove that he has played an active role in football for at least two of the past five years. Ginola was a part of the failed England bid to host the 2018 World Cup and said he consulted for French third tier club Etoile Frejus St Rafael since 2010 up until this point.

Blatter had initially said his current term would be his last, having held the position since 1998, but has now indicated an intention to run for a fifth term.

In the build-up to the last elections in 2011, Blatter’s chief rival for office, Mohamed Bin Hammam of Qatar, was banned from all football activity for life in 2012 for attempting to bribe Caribbean delegates.