Asian Football Chief Supports Infantino’s FIFA Bid After Rift
(MENAFN) The head of Asian football’s governing body publicly threw his weight behind Gianni Infantino’s campaign for a new term as FIFA president on Friday, closing a rift opened by a contentious commercial plan.
Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, the Bahraini president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), made the pledge at an extraordinary AFC congress in Tokyo. Infantino attended the gathering. The two men settled their differences after recent talks in Zurich, according to Sheikh Salman.
“I think that we reaffirm our full commitment, of course, to supporting you and your leadership as you seek a new mandate as a FIFA president,” Sheikh Salman said.
“I want to make it clear: yes, we had some issues we spoke about in the past but let’s not relate the two things together,” he added.
The dispute dates to August, when Sheikh Salman and the heads of UEFA and CONCACAF openly condemned Infantino’s FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal. The plan would have brought private investors into a commercial entity controlling rights tied to FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup. The three confederation chiefs labeled it a “fundamental breach of trust.”
FIFA later dropped the project. At a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich on Oct. 15, Infantino apologized for failures in how the plan was communicated and how stakeholders were consulted.
Sheikh Salman said both sides had since found common ground and were prepared to move on.
“We need to move forward. And we believe football is strongest when we work together with a shared vision and a common purpose,” he said.
Infantino returned the endorsement. Sheikh Salman is pursuing a fourth term as AFC president next year.
“You’ve been doing a fantastic job in AFC in the last 13 years, my dear Salman,” Infantino said.
“You will do fantastically as well for the next how many years you want. And always, always with my full support, with the partnership of FIFA,” he added.
Infantino, who has headed FIFA since 2016, will seek another term in the presidential election set for March 2027.
Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, the Bahraini president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), made the pledge at an extraordinary AFC congress in Tokyo. Infantino attended the gathering. The two men settled their differences after recent talks in Zurich, according to Sheikh Salman.
“I think that we reaffirm our full commitment, of course, to supporting you and your leadership as you seek a new mandate as a FIFA president,” Sheikh Salman said.
“I want to make it clear: yes, we had some issues we spoke about in the past but let’s not relate the two things together,” he added.
The dispute dates to August, when Sheikh Salman and the heads of UEFA and CONCACAF openly condemned Infantino’s FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal. The plan would have brought private investors into a commercial entity controlling rights tied to FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup. The three confederation chiefs labeled it a “fundamental breach of trust.”
FIFA later dropped the project. At a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich on Oct. 15, Infantino apologized for failures in how the plan was communicated and how stakeholders were consulted.
Sheikh Salman said both sides had since found common ground and were prepared to move on.
“We need to move forward. And we believe football is strongest when we work together with a shared vision and a common purpose,” he said.
Infantino returned the endorsement. Sheikh Salman is pursuing a fourth term as AFC president next year.
“You’ve been doing a fantastic job in AFC in the last 13 years, my dear Salman,” Infantino said.
“You will do fantastically as well for the next how many years you want. And always, always with my full support, with the partnership of FIFA,” he added.
Infantino, who has headed FIFA since 2016, will seek another term in the presidential election set for March 2027.
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