Open revolt: Qatar exposes the AFC over an open letter about Infantino
An open letter attacking FIFA president Gianni Infantino has triggered a public split within Asian football, after Qatar announced its rejection of the Asian Football Confederation's position and demanded urgent clarification over who authorised it to speak on behalf of its members.
The crisis has exposed a clear rift within the Asian house at a pivotal moment in the battle over the future of the FIFA presidency. Infantino, who is seeking re-election next year, faces an unprecedented rebellion led by three of the largest continental confederations in the world.
On Monday the Asian Football Confederation joined UEFA and CONCACAF in a joint attack, calling on Infantino to resign after his failed attempt to attract private investment for FIFA's tournaments, chief among them the World Cup.
An angry letter from Doha
Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, president of the Qatar Football Association and a member of both the AFC's executive committee and the FIFA Council, fired back with a strongly worded letter to Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, published by "Reuters".
Al Thani said in his letter: "It must first be ascertained that a collective opinion exists. It cannot be assumed, nor can it be imposed by mere announcement."
He demanded clarification on the nature of the consultations that took place within the Asian Football Confederation, and on what basis it considered itself authorised to speak on behalf of the 47 member associations.
"I was not consulted, neither the Qatar Football Association nor myself personally, whether formally or informally, before the statement was issued," he added. "No prior notice was given, no draft was circulated, and no opportunity was provided to comment on its content or contribute to it before it was published publicly in the name of the Asian Football Confederation and on behalf of its members."
Asian division and Arab support for Infantino
The move reveals deep divisions within the Asian Football Confederation at a decisive moment.
Qatar's challenge comes just hours after six Arab football association presidents, among them Qatar and 2030 World Cup host Morocco, announced their full support for Infantino on Thursday, in the midst of the crisis that followed the failure of the private investment proposal.
Four of the six signatories sit on the FIFA Council: Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani of Qatar, Hany Abo Rida of Egypt, Fouzi Lekjaa of Morocco, and Ahmed Ould Yahya of Mauritania.
The six presidents used their statement to voice "deep appreciation for Infantino's continuous efforts to advance football globally, expand the scope of opportunities in all regions, and strengthen the game's role in bringing peoples and communities together".
Infantino had proposed separating the commercial rights of the World Cup and selling 20% of them to private sector investors, hoping to raise around 4.2 billion dollars. He was forced to abandon the project entirely after the storm it stirred up within the continental confederations.
