Aug 14 (Reuters) – A growing rift within Asian soccer over the future of FIFA has burst into the open with Qatar challenging the Asian Football Confederation over its decision to join UEFA and CONCACAF in a sweeping attack on embattled FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Qatar Football Association President Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani wrote in a letter to AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa that neither he nor the QFA had been consulted before the three confederations issued an open letter on Monday purporting to speak collectively for their members.
Infantino, who is seeking reelection next year, has faced open revolt after UEFA, the AFC and CONCACAF attacked his conduct and called for him to quit over his aborted bid to bring private investment into FIFA competitions like the World Cup.
“A collective view must first be ascertained; it cannot be presumed, and it cannot be brought into existence by declaration,” Al-Thani, an AFC Executive Committee member and FIFA Council member, wrote in the letter seen by Reuters.
He asked the AFC to explain what consultation had taken place and on what basis it considered itself authorised to speak collectively for its 47 member associations.
The AFC declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.
DEEP DIVISIONS
The intervention exposes divisions within the AFC at a critical moment in the battle over Infantino’s leadership.
In his letter to the AFC president, Al-Thani said, “neither the QFA, nor I personally … was consulted, whether formally or informally, prior to the issuance of the statement.
“No advance notice was given, no draft was circulated, and no opportunity was afforded to comment on, or contribute to, its content before it was released publicly in AFC’s name and on behalf of AFC’s members.”
The challenge comes after six heads of Arab national football associations — including Qatar and 2030 World Cup co-hosts Morocco — backed Infantino on Thursday amid FIFA’s crisis following the failed private investment proposal.
Four of the six signatories — Al-Thani, the head of Egypt’s football federation, Hany Abo Rida, Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa and Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya — are also FIFA Council members.
“We deeply appreciate Mr Infantino’s sustained efforts to advance football globally, expand opportunities across all regions and strengthen the game’s role in bringing people and communities together,” they had said.
Infantino proposed carving off the commercial rights to the World Cup and selling 20% to private investors to raise about $4.2 billion before a U-turn following the furore.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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