AFC president wins bitter fight for key FIFA seat

Friday, May 8, 2009 at 2:13 AM Posted by Beijing News


Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam narrowly retained his FIFA executive committee seat Friday after one of the most vitriolic battles regional football has known.

The 60-year-old Qatari, seen as a potential future FIFA president, survived a challenge from Bahrain's Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa by winning a tense vote at the AFC congress here 23 to 21. Two ballots were spoiled.

It was the culmination of a bitter fight for power in which Bin Hammam, who has held the FIFA position since 1996, had threatened to step down as Asia's most powerful football figure if he was defeated.

After winning he urged all sides to come together and work for the future.

"Both sides have to come together and heal and look to the future of Asian football," he said.

"To those who supported me, I promise I am going to do more than what I have done in the past. To those who didn't support me, I will do my best to win back your confidence and trust.

"Asia needs all of us to work hand in hand together."

Sheikh Salman accepted his defeat gracefully but said it was clear Asia was divided and bringing all its 46 member nations back together must be the priority.

"I congratulated the president. We need to turn the page and move forward," he said.

"But my message is clear, we have 21 countries unhappy. We have to ask why they are unhappy and the president needs to win back their confidence."

Either man needed a simple majority to win a vote that was taken after an impassioned speech by FIFA president Sepp Blatter urging fair play.

"I expect discipline, respect, and a fighting spirit, but all in the spirit of fair play," said Blatter.

Despite his victory, Bin Hammam, whose AFC term runs until 2011, faces a difficult few years with the organisation riven by animosity.

But he refused to change his style of leadership, which has led to claims that he is a dictator and that there is no transparency in the organisation's financial affairs.

"I am definitely not going to change my style," he said.

"I have full democracy and transparency in the way I act as president. I respect the rules."

The campaign to oust him was led by heavyweights Kuwait, South Korea, Japan, and Saudi Arabia and was highlighted by allegations of corruption and vicious personal attacks.

Afghanistan, Brunei, Laos, Mongolia, and East Timor also voted after concerns that they might be excluded were ironed out.



Marai

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)