Many of us naively thought that getting rid of Sepp Blatter would be a big first step toward cleaning up Fifa.

But it is becoming increasingly likely that soccer’s governing body will be mired in the same old problems after the 209 member federations vote Friday to elect a replacement to Blatter.

The favorite to win the election is Shiekh Salman Al Khalifa of Bahrain, a man connected with that country’s 2011 crackdown on pro-democracy soccer players as well as the usual financial irregularities/vote buying associated with Fifa elections and World Cup site selections.

The bookies in England are following the election, and their odds usually do little more than gauge the flow of money from gamblers but gamblers often are accurate in predicting results — and they have Sheikh Salman as an 8-to-15 favorite.

The rest?

They are a sad collection, only one of whom, Gianni Infantino of Switzerland, appears to have any shot at all.

Infantino has baggage of his own, including his vow to drop out of the race once his boss at European organizer Uefa, Michel Platini, was cleared to run.

Platini was barred from the race, following the news of his accepting $2 million from Fifa/Blatter ahead of the 2015 election, so here’s Infantino, a 6-to-4 gambling pick, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.

One potential problem, according to The Guardian, are rumors that Infantino will throw his support to Sheikh Salman in return for the post of Fifa general secretary, the No. 2 position in the organization.

The only candidate who could represent a break from Fifa’s recent record of deep corruption, is Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan. He was runner-up to Blatter by a 133-73 vote last May. He apparently rankled Fifa insiders revently when he said: “We want to get to a day when people don’t even know who the president of Fifa is.”

But the betting odds of him winning? Only 12-to-1.

The other two candidates have no chance — the corrupt South African Tokyo Sexwale and France’s irrelevant Jerome Champagne.

The election may pivot on Africa’s preference, as it has so often in the Blatter era.

Recent Fifa elections have shown continental federations voting as blocs, and Sheikh Salman, president of the Asian Football Confederation, can count on nearly all of his memberships’ 43 votes.

Some believe he has an agreement with Africa and its 54 votes — which would put him within a dozen votes of winning the election.

How is the U.S. voting? Sunil Gulati, president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, isn’t saying.

Last time, the U.S. voted for Prince Ali.

So, Sheikh Salman probably will win, and he would be a disaster for a more honest, more transparent Fifa. Infantino might be able to cobble together enough support, beginning with Europe’s 53 votes and adding the 10 from South America, which has vowed to support him, and perhaps picking up a majority of the 35 from Concacaf (the North America/Central America, Caribbean confederation.

Infantino is a former Fifa employee, and the risk of him becoming another Blatter is apparent, but at least he comes from Europe, which appears to be, generally, the most honestly run confederation.

Still, Prince Ali would be preferable, but he has very little chance.

Which leaves us faced with a bad choice (Infantino) or a worse choice (Sheikh Salman), and that isn’t where we were supposed to be, in replacing Sepp Blatter.