By Paul Nicholson
March 8 – Such is that desperation to take control of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) by the UAE – so often the proxy for Saudi Arabia’s geopolitical ambition – the country has thrown in a $320 million incentive to federations to vote for Major General Mohammed Khalfan Al Romaithi in his bid win the AFC presidency.
The cash promise is a separate figure to the commercial revenue the AFC generates and would be provided by the UAE government and its corporations via what Al Romaithi is calling a ‘Fair Fund’ that would be available to federations across the region, but presumably controlled by the UAE.
The announcement is a stunning admission of the involvement of government politics in the election for the top position in Asian football. The blockade of Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other allies is being fought ever more aggressively on football’s political fields with the munitions of choice now being cash.
Al Romaithi put forward his candidacy for the AFC presidency once the Saudis realised that their own preferred candidates had very little chance of winning an election as the country became increasingly seen as a bad actor within the football business. He was joined in the race by Qatar’s Saoud Al-Mohannadi – making the two vehemently politically opposed country factions in the region both with their own men running for the top regional football job.
It is hard to see how either of them are electable as the presidency is to represent the whole region, not just their country and its political allies – Al-Mohannadi was even initially refused entry into the UAE in January to attend the Asian Cup. Incredibly with this background and clear conflicts of interest, both passed ethics integrity checks enabling them to go forward to election.
They are up against incumbent Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa who has been subjected to a smear campaign over the human rights issues surrounding the civil case of part time footballer Hakeem Al-Araibi who had been granted refugee status in Australia but was arrested in Thailand and for a time faced extradition back to Bahrain.
It was a campaign fuelled internationally by UAE, Saudi and Australian righteousness (and cash), though when it comes to human rights both the UAE and Saudi have appalling and recent records in that department, and directly football related.
Launching his ‘Making Football Fair’ election platform at the magnificent Louvre museum in Abu Dhabi, Al Romaithi promised “new investment” for member associations and “genuine transparency and independence.”
He also promised to “clean up” football in Asia, but what he meant by this is very unclear, particularly with his own country’s recent record of behind-the-scenes electioneering and deal-making, and its more visible lack of grace following its humiliating home defeat to Qatar in the recent Asian Cup.
Al Romaithi said: “I have seen first-hand how the power of football can change the lives of everyone for the better, but in Asia this power has been abused to the detriment of our people.
“Now is the time for change, now is the time for a new era, now is the time to make football fair for all.”
Other campaign promises included a $2 million investment every year in every AFC member association and a $1 million investment every year in each regional federation. He also wants to stimulate more international play with the insistence that every country’s national team should play a minimum of five matches per year and the set-up annual competitions for all age groups from U14-U23.
Most of what he is proposing is already happening under the current administration and executive, though limited by the finances that were capped in the AFC’s commercial rights deal that is only now coming to an end. The new deal releases a lot more money into the development arena.
What is interesting is the role of FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino in this election. Alongside Europe, the AFC is the only region to have stood up to his own insatiable demand for global control. Infantino would like to see a change of regime to one that he can in essence control unquestioned in the same way that he does the other confederations of Conmebol, CAF, Concacaf and the OFC.
Infantino was recently in Oman speaking to government and FA officials regarding the possibility of expanding the 2022 World Cup to 48 teams. Al Romaithi was also in Oman. It seems their missions are aligned.
For the AFC member nations they have a choice of voting for the promise of extra cash and effectively a geo-politically government-led football leadership, or continuing on the path of self-determination and shared development and unity they have been following. It is another money vs integrity battle for football’s politicians.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1714172003labto1714172003ofdlr1714172003owedi1714172003sni@n1714172003osloh1714172003cin.l1714172003uap1714172003
