KB News Desk
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Qatar Football Association (QFA) have clashed over a statement criticizing FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
According to Reuters and other media outlets on Tuesday, AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain firmly rejected a protest from the QFA over the Asian governing body‘s decision to join other continental confederations in publicly criticizing Infantino.
Infantino had proposed creating a new for-profit company, FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE), to manage FIFA competitions including the World Cup. The plan called for raising as much as $4.2 billion this year through the sale of a stake in the company.
The AFC, UEFA and CONCACAF responded with a joint statement declaring that “football is not the property of any individual.” The proposal faced intense opposition and was abandoned within days.
However, the QFA, which has maintained close ties with Infantino, accused the AFC of exceeding its authority.
QFA President Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani sent a letter of protest to the AFC, saying Qatar had not been consulted before the joint statement was issued. He demanded an explanation of what authority the AFC had to speak on behalf of its 47 member associations.
Salman quickly pushed back.
According to a response letter obtained by Reuters, Salman said that when an issue of major importance to Asian soccer arises, he has both the authority and responsibility to act decisively to defend the positions of the AFC and Asian soccer.
He said his actions were based on powers granted under the AFC statutes, adding that remaining silent in such circumstances would amount to a failure to fulfill his responsibilities as president.
Qatar, meanwhile, has taken a markedly different position from the AFC.
Earlier this month, the soccer associations of six Arab countries, including Qatar and Morocco, a co-host of the 2030 World Cup, publicly declared their support for Infantino despite the crisis surrounding FIFA over the proposed sale of commercial rights.
Salman accused the QFA’s recent actions of undermining unity in Asian soccer and destabilizing the AFC.
He also sharply criticized Qatar‘s focus on procedural issues, arguing that it showed the QFA was placing superficial technical concerns ahead of the more important issue of defending the interests of Asian and world soccer.
(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)
