Japanese football association vice president resigns over actions surrounding FIFA World Cup
- Resignation comes after Asian Football Confederation president pledged support for Gianni Infantino's bid for re-election as FIFA president
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- Resignation comes after Asian Football Confederation president pledged support for Gianni Infantino's bid for re-election as FIFA president
By Saadet Gokce
ISTANBUL (AA) - Japan Football Association Vice President Takeshi Okada resigned Wednesday, citing a "significant gap" between his principles and how the organization is handling issues surrounding the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
"Throughout my career, I have valued the social significance of sports guided by my conviction that sports must be conducted with integrity," he said in a statement. "However, the series of responses to the issues surrounding the upcoming FIFA World Cup has revealed a significant gap between those responses and my own convictions. As a sportsman, I cannot accept them.”
The resignation comes one week after Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa pledged the AFC’s support for Gianni Infantino’s bid for another term as FIFA president.
Okada said he understood that aligning with the AFC was a practical option, given Japan's relationship with the body and the potential effect on Japanese soccer.
Infantino faced mounting calls to stand down two months ago following the controversy surrounding the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal.
The proposal would have involved transferring a portion of FIFA's commercial rights to a private investment firm through a new commercial entity, including rights linked to FIFA competitions such as the World Cup.
It was abandoned within days of details emerging, prompting criticism from several confederation presidents and major European leagues.
Infantino has led FIFA since 2016 and is seeking another term in the March 2027 election.
Saadet Gökce