FIFA President Gianni Infantino played down the significance of Tuesday’s postponement of Asian elections for seats on the new FIFA Council.
Infantino said that it was all part of the reform process at soccer’s scandal-hit world governing body.
Upset at FIFA’s last minute disqualification of a Qatari candidate, delegates overwhelmingly voted down the agenda of an Asian Football Confederation extraordinary congress in Goa.
FIFA banned Qatari Saoud Al-Mohannadi from the election on Sunday because of an ongoing ethics investigation, leaving insufficient time for new candidates to join the six remaining in the field.
AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said the voting down of the agenda was “a loud and clear message’’ to FIFA.
Infantino, who was attending the congress, said the vote was all part of an ongoing reform process within the sport’s governing bodies.
“We are going through a reform process in FIFA, the confederations are going through a reform process as well,’’ Infantino told reporters after unveiling the logo for next year’s U-17 World Cup in India.
“This takes discussions, this takes time, this takes meetings, postponement of meetings as well.
“This is simply part of a process football is going through these days.’’
FIFA had set a Sept. 30 deadline for elections to the Council, which replaces the Executive Committee under reforms instituted in the wake of the corruption scandal, which has engulfed soccer’s governing body over the last 16 months. (Reuters/NAN)
