Football
ESPN staff 9y

Asian Confederation reiterates support for FIFA president Sepp Blatter

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will continue to back Sepp Blatter's bid for re-election to the FIFA presidency, as the leader of world football's governing body pulled out of a planned appearance at the FIFA Medical Conference.

FIFA is in crisis after the arrest of seven currently serving officials at a hotel in Zurich on corruption charges dating back 24 years, who are set to be extradited to the U.S. to face charges.

Swiss authorities have begun a separate, criminal investigation into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively.

Blatter, who issued a statement welcoming the investigation, is up for election for a fifth term as president at the FIFA Congress on Friday, with Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein standing against him, though that has been thrown into doubt with UEFA calling for the vote postponed.

He will not attend the FIFA Medical Conference on Thursday morning as scheduled after pulling out of two planned public appearances on Wednesday. He is still due to open the FIFA Congress later on Thursday.

But despite the growing clouds over Blatter's leadership, the AFC has issued a statement indicated its support for the current president.

"The Asian Football Confederation expresses its disappointment and sadness at Wednesday's events in Zurich whilst opposing any delay in the FIFA Presidential elections to take place on Friday," the AFC statement read.

"The AFC is against any form of corruption in football and fully supports any actions taken by the independent FIFA Ethics Committee where wrongdoing may have occurred, whether such actions affect Asian officials or otherwise.

"Furthermore, the AFC reiterates its decision taken at the AFC Congress in Sao Paulo in 2014, endorsed at subsequent congresses in Melbourne and Manama in 2015, to support FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter."

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