"Infantino supports four-term presidency" — is this true? AFC president's stance shifts in just three months, swayed by '8 trillion won carrot offer'... pledges "loyalty" face-to-face

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) officially declared its support for Gianni Infantino's (56), President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), bid for a fourth term.

According to global sports outlet ESPN, AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa (Bahrain) stated at the AFC extraordinary congress held in Tokyo, Japan on the 23rd that he would fully support In Pan-ti-no (Chairman), who is running in the next FIFA presidential election.

President Salman emphasized to In Pan-ti-no (Chairman), who attended the congress in person, "We support your leadership and are ready to move forward together with a shared vision and goals."

This marks a complete reversal from his firm stance just three months ago. Previously, when In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) pushed for 'FIFA Forward Enterprise,' which involves selling the commercial rights of FIFA-sanctioned tournaments such as the World Cup to private investors, the AFC, along with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), issued a statement of opposition citing "breach of trust."

In particular, it was revealed that Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former U.S. President Donald Trump, would provide funding for this privatization project, sparking fierce backlash from other continental confederations.

Regarding the change in attitude, President Salman stated, "It is true that there were past disagreements, but these two matters should not be linked," and drew a line by saying, "Through recent dialogue, genuine understanding has been formed between both sides." In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) also expressed gratitude for the AFC's support and pledged solid cooperation.

To prevent defections in voter support, In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) has recently presented a financial carrot offer to establish a fund totaling $6.35 billion (approximately 8.4 trillion won) starting from 2027 and distribute substantial subsidies to national associations.

The next FIFA presidential election will be held in March next year, with the candidate registration deadline on November 18. With the African Football Confederation (CFA) and the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) already having formalized their support, followed by the AFC holding 46 votes, no clear competitor has emerged yet, significantly increasing In Pan-ti-no (Chairman)'s chances of winning a fourth term.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original