Asia's governing body has passed a resolution scrapping key pillars of reforms passed after the corruption crisis that rocked FIFA in 2015, allowing the region's soccer leaders to remain in power for years. .
Saudi Arabia and Qatar were among four of the 47 members of the Asian Football Confederation to submit the proposal at its annual conference in Bangkok on Thursday. Only Australia and Jordan voted “no”.
The victory in the vote allows AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa to seek re-election in 2027, when he was due to retire after a 14-year term.
Ahead of the vote, members of the Bahraini royal family told AFC members of their desire to become world football's “model federation” in conjunction with FIFA.
Two waves of FIFA governance reforms introduced term limits for presidents following bribery and corruption scandals in 2011 and 2015, and Asian soccer was implicated in both.
In 2011, then-AFC leader Mohammed bin Hammam of Qatar was barred from the FIFA presidential race after $40,000 in cash was paid in brown envelopes to voters in the Caribbean after an election rally in Trinidad.
Two years later, in the aftermath of the 2015 scandal, Guam-based AFC official Richard Lai pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn to participating in a bribery scheme that built influence in international soccer. Rai said the group was run by a Kuwaiti faction that helped Sheikh Salman win the 2013 election to succeed bin Hammam.
At the time, removing the president within 12 years was considered essential to curbing the networks of patronage and loyalty that enabled corruption and poor governance.
However, FIFA president Gianni Infantino was allowed to remain in office for 15 years, until 2031, due to subsequent legal reforms that he oversaw, and UEFA announced in February that president Alexander Ceferin will be in office for 15 years, ending his 11th year in office. It was decided that he could aim to remain in office beyond 2020. He said he would not run for re-election.
Even the International Olympic Committee is still considering a member's request last October for changes to legal rules that would allow president Thomas Bach to seek a third election next year. This would exceed the 12-year limit set after the Salt Lake City bidding corruption scandal 25 years ago.
AFC has defeated both FIFA and UEFA in removing all barriers to the retention of its president and executive committee.
In a later statement, the AFC said this was in line with “our commitment to ensuring that we remain an exemplary federation that continues to uphold the highest ethical standards and best governance practices for future generations of our great game.” “It was another clear signal of intent.”
One legal hurdle still remains for Sheikh Salman with FIFA. The law currently prevents him from continuing as FIFA vice president and member of the Governing Council beyond 2031.
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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Graham Dunbar, Associated Press
