News
Japan FA head Tashima to challenge Infantino for FIFA presidency
Tashima says he will stand in March as Infantino seeks re-election under pressure over a failed plan on World Cup rights.
FootVal NewsroomUpdated
Kozo Tashima, president of the Japan Football Association, has said he will run for the FIFA presidency in March. He will stand against Gianni Infantino, who is seeking re-election.
Infantino has faced growing opposition since his failed move in July to bring private investors into a new FIFA commercial entity holding rights linked to competitions including the World Cup. The Athletic reports that he has faced intense pressure to resign after the aborted FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.
Tashima said FIFA needs honest and sound values, according to The Guardian. ESPN reports, citing Japanese media, that he is a FIFA Council member.
talkSPORT reports that several governing bodies have withdrawn their support for Infantino, including UEFA, which has held talks over a vote of no confidence and is set to put forward a rival candidate. Sportschau reports that it is not yet confirmed whether Tashima will be the candidate of the European opposition.
Sources
This article is based on reports by:
- The Athletic — Kozo Tashima, head of Japanese FA, to challenge Gianni Infantino for FIFA presidency
- The Guardian — Japan FA head Kozo Tashima to stand against Infantino for Fifa presidency
- Sportschau — FIFA: Funktionär aus Japan will gegen Infantino antreten
- talkSPORT — Gianni Infantino to face biggest FIFA survival challenge yet as announcement made
- BBC Sport — Japan's Tashima to stand against Infantino for Fifa presidency
- ESPN — Reports: FIFA Council's Tashima to challenge Infantino in March elections
- TuttoMercatoWeb — Prossimo presidente della FIFA, il giapponese Kozo Tashima sfida Infantino
Written by the FootVal newsroom from the reports below, with figures from FootVal’s own database. Spotted a mistake? Tell us. · How we report
