FIFA politics around Infantino re-election push Japanese official to resign

GENEVA (AP) — Two-time World Cup coach Takeshi Okada resigned as Japanese soccer federation vice president in protest at the politics around FIFA during Gianni Infantino’s campaign to be re-elected.

Japan’s soccer body on Wednesday published Okada’s resignation statement dated last Saturday — 24 hours after the Asian Football Confederation had performed a U-turn by publicly supporting Infantino, who seeks a fourth and final presidential term at an election in March.

Infantino has faced a backlash since July over his failed World Cup sell-off plan and broader management style including ties to U.S. President Donald Trump, provoking a furor from soccer leaders in Europe, North America and — initially — in Asia.

The 70-year-old Okada, who coached Japan at the World Cups of 1998 and 2010, wrote of his belief “that sports should embody integrity.”

“However, the series of actions surrounding this year’s FIFA World Cup represent a significant divergence from my personal convictions,” Okada said in the statement. “As a sportsman, I cannot accept this.”

Okada acknowledged the complexity of Japan’s place in the politics of world soccer’s ruling body FIFA and Asia, adding he understood “there are practical reasons for aligning with the AFC’s stance.”

Japan wants to host the men’s World Cup before 2050, its federation president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto said at an October 2023 online meeting of the AFC that endorsed Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 edition.

AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa had in August joined his fellow FIFA vice presidents, Aleksander Ceferin from UEFA and CONCACAF’s Victor Montagliani, by criticizing Infantino for “deception” and a “fundamental breach of trust” for pushing to sell a permanent stake in World Cup profits. Infantino lined up a $4.2 billion deal with private investors led by Joshua Kushner, younger brother of Jared Kushner, who is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka.

However, Infantino never lost support from 2022 World Cup host Qatar and seemed to regain trust since August from 2034 host Saudi Arabia, which had withheld public backing before hosting him in Jeddah this month.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar as key powers in Asian soccer

The two Gulf states are major power brokers in Asian soccer and, last Friday, Bahraini royal family member Sheikh Salman surprised many global soccer observers by announcing at an AFC assembly in Tokyo it would now endorse Infantino.

The AFC has 46 of the 211 FIFA member federations who will vote in the March 18 election scheduled in Rabat, Morocco.

The 211 members effectively own FIFA as a Switzerland-based non-profit organization, and have been promised $25 million each by Infantino for development projects and operating costs over the next four years.

European soccer’s ruling body UEFA has committed to finding a candidate against Infantino by a FIFA deadline of Nov. 18 to enter the contest.

AFC in dispute with Jordan soccer leader Prince Ali

Fallout from the AFC meetings in Tokyo continued into this week.

Former FIFA vice president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan wrote on social media the final AFC meeting on Friday was “pure politics at the behest of Gianni Infantino.”

Prince Ali, who was along four candidates against Infantino in the 2016 FIFA election, said Asia was not united behind the incumbent president and added: “No amount of coercion, threats or bribes should be allowed.”

The AFC said this was “unsubstantiated” and pushed back against the prince’s claims no member had been allowed to take the floor to speak.

“Such serious accusations must be supported by credible evidence,” the Asian soccer body said, referring Prince Ali’s comments to its judicial officials for possible disciplinary action.

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Graham Dunbar, The Associated Press