Takeshi Okada, vice president of the Japan Football Association, has resigned from his post, stating that the "series of positions" related to the controversy surrounding the World Cup do not align with his personal convictions, according to a statement published on Wednesday.
Okada, one of the three vice presidents of the Japan Football Association, said he is stepping down "of his own free will," adding that throughout his career he has believed in the social value of sport, based on his conviction that sport must be practiced with integrity.
Gap with Official Positions
He noted that his decision came after careful and repeated consideration, pointing to a significant gap between the positions related to the recent World Cup and his personal beliefs, which, as a sportsman, he cannot accept.
Support for Infantino and Withdrawal
Okada's resignation, who coached the Japan national team in the 1998 and 2010 World Cups, comes a week after Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation, announced the continent's support for Swiss-Italian Gianni Infantino's candidacy for a new term as head of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).
Sheikh Salman had clearly expressed this support during a meeting held in Tokyo, weeks after the Asian Football Confederation joined football bodies in Europe and North America in condemning Infantino over his plan to open the door to private sector investors.
Context of International Elections
Infantino has faced calls for his resignation and has lost support from some federations in his bid for a fourth and final term, having led the international federation since 2016 and facing elections next March, after apologizing for his failed private investment project.
Okada clarified that, considering his relationship with the Asian Football Confederation and its impact on Japanese football, he understands there are practical reasons to align his position with that of the AFC.
Source: Arriyadiyah newspaper
Comments (0)