PSG, Marseille closed-door bans remain

June 26, 2009

PARIS (AFP) – Paris St Germain and Marseille will play one of their next matches in an empty stadium, the French Football Federation said on Friday.

The measure, previously imposed on a suspended basis, is being enforced to penalise the two French first division teams for the repeated use of flares and smoke bombs by fans, FFF president Jean-Pierre Escalettes said.

“The offence has been committed again, so the suspension is liable to be set aside,” he said, while conceding that other legal procedures still need to be heard.

The Paris club became the subject of the original order, upgraded from a fine, by a FFF tribunal following St Etienne’s visit to the Parc des Princes in the French capital on February 14.

Marseille were also ordered to play a match behind closed doors, subject to conditions, following various smoke bomb incidents, in particular during a fixture against Lorient on November 15 last year.

In a separate decision, Marseille and PSG were additionally sanctioned by the FFF for various disciplinary incidents during the course of the season.

After appealing to the the French Sports and Olympic Council to help conciliate in the matter, the two clubs may now have recourse to a civil court the make a judgement in the case.

Tags: civil court, closed doors, fff, flares, French, french capital, french football federation, french sports, Germain, jean pierre, Ligue 1, Lorient, Marseille, offence, olympic council, parc des princes, PARIS, paris club, paris st germain, play one, psg, recourse, smoke bomb, smoke bombs, st etienne

AFC chief Bin Hammam keen to mend fences

May 13, 2009

SINGAPORE (AFP) – Asian Football Confederation chief Mohamed bin Hammam began his new four-year term as a FIFA executive committee member this week keen to mend fences with his most ardent critics.

But, as the dust settles on one of the most bitter election campaigns seen in football, he insists he will never change his controversial style of leadership.

So disillusioned were almost half of the AFC’s 46 member nations in the way the Qatari runs the regional football body that they voted against him last Friday at their congress in a key show of dissent.

They said he was a dictator, that there was no transparency in what he was doing and argued that local football associations were not getting enough money.

At the forefront of the criticism were two powerful and influential men — FIFA vice-president Chung Mong-Joon and Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) president Sheikh Ahmad Al Sabah.

Despite vicious personal attacks on him, Bin Hammam is keen to forgive and forget, conscious that if he doesn’t repair the relationships the battle for power will start again ahead of the next congress in two years.

Then, his presidency will be at stake.

“I have no problems with the remarks Chung made,” he said, referring to the Hyundai scion publicly declaring Bin Hammam had mental problems and ran the AFC like a criminal.

“Chung is one of the people who I would like to restart relations with for the good of Asia,” he added.

Sheikh Ahmad, who also heads the Kuwait Football Association, stepped up his rhetoric after the Qatari accused him and the OCA of vote-buying.

The matter was referred to FIFA’s ethics committee but Bin Hammam suggested he was no longer interested in pursuing the claims of corruption, which were denied.

“I’m not going to act as the sport’s police for the world,” he said.

“I just want to refocus and look forward. It is better for me to leave the past behind and start a new page.

“The past is the past and we all have to think about the future of Asian football from now on.”

But he still has some key unresolved business, notably changing the statutes so that the AFC president automatically becomes FIFA vice-president — a position Chung currently holds.

The AFC and Latin America are the only continental bodies that do not apply this principle and Bin Hammam won support from FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

“Whoever is president of FIFA, it is better for him to have vice presidents as heads of confederations. It is easier to work together and better for the good of the game,” said Blatter.

While Bin Hammam wants to build bridges, he insists he will not change the way he does business.

“I am definitely not going to change my style,” he said. “I have full democracy and transparency in the way I act as president. I respect the rules.”

With the budget for the next four years approved by the congress he will now press on with his vision for the future, which he said had developing the AFC Champions League at its forefront.

Bin Hammam believes that only through improving top level club football will more sponsor money start flowing into the AFC coffers.

The Champions League was revamped this year, expanding from 28 to 32 teams and with stricter participation criteria to raise standards.

At stake is 20 million dollars in prize money, dwarfing the four million available in 2008.

Tags: ahmad, Ahmad Al Sabah, al sabah, Asia, asian football confederation, CAF Champions League, Chung, Chung Mong-, election campaigns, enough money, executive committee member, FIFA, fifa executive committee, football association, football associations, hammam, joon, kuwait football, latin america, member nations, mong, oca, olympic council, personal attacks, qatari, scion, Sepp Blatter, sheikh ahmad, SINGAPORE, style of leadership

Blatter asked to intervene ´urgently´ in AFC row

April 23, 2009

SINGAPORE (AFP) – Five Asian football associations have called on FIFA president Sepp Blatter to “urgently” intervene and supervise what they claim will be an undemocratic AFC Congress next month.

A letter outlining their concerns, including allegations of “threats expressed against some of us,” has been signed by senior officials from the FAs of Kuwait, Laos, East Timor, Afghanistan and Mongolia and sent to Blatter.

All five associations have been banned from voting in the Congress which will see AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam challenged by Bahrain’s Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa for a seat on FIFA’s executive committee.

Both men claim to have the numbers to win the increasingly bitter battle but with a two-thirds majority required, the five votes could be crucial.

“We are writing to you because we need, urgently and crucially, your support and guidance,” said the letter, obtained by AFP.

“In recent days we have received letters from AFC’s acting secretary general that are totally against the FIFA and AFC Statutes.

“On the basis of such information and of the threats expressed against some of us, we have reason to believe that there is a serious risk that the AFC Congress will not be held in a democratic way…”

It called for FIFA to “monitor and supervise the process of the Congress and election operations”.

“As FIFA members, we therefore respectfully request FIFA take steps to ensure that the AFC Congress is conducted… with complete fairness and integrity.”

Four of the associations — Laos, East Timor, Afghanistan and Mongolia — have been told they cannot vote because they have not participated in at least three AFC competitions in the past two years.

As for Kuwait, they have been informed by the AFC that it does not recognise the temporary committee that is currently running its football affairs.

The letter to Blatter comes as the heat intensifies ahead of the Congress, with the Olympic Council of Asia this week denying it was involved in “vote-buying” to influence the outcome of the elections.

The previous week, South Korea’s football association filed a complaint with FIFA’s ethics committee against Bin Hammam, accusing him of “groundless, bitter accusations.”

Tags: AFC, Afghanistan, al khalifa, allegations, asian football, bahrain, bitter battle, blatter, CAF Champions League, democratic way, east timor, executive committee, fairness, FIFA, football associations, kuwait, Laos, laos east, mongolia, olympic council, president mohamed, secretary general, senior officials, Sepp Blatter, SINGAPORE, south korea, support and guidance, temporary committee

Olympic Council of Asia fumes over ´vote-buy´ claims

April 20, 2009

SINGAPORE (AFP) – The Olympic Council of Asia on Monday angrily denied “baseless” accusations that it was involved in “vote-buying” to influence the outcome of elections for a FIFA executive committee seat.

The Council, headed by Kuwait’s Sheikh Ahmad Al Sabah, has been asked by FIFA’s ethics committee to clarify the claims surrounding an increasingly ugly battle for power within the Asian Football Confederation.

At stake is an Asian seat on the powerful FIFA executive committee, currently held by AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam.

His term ends on May 8 and Bahraini Crown Prince, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, is challenging him.

In an interview with Australia’s SBS television on March 30, Bin Hammam claimed that the OCA, via its national Olympic committees, was offering grants to football associations in Asia to secure their votes for Sheikh Salman.

FIFA decided to look into the allegations after a request to do so, reportedly by Australian broadcaster Les Murray, who conducted the interview with Bin Hammam and who also sits on the ethics committee.

But the OCA said it was untrue and is threatening legal action.

“The OCA has completely and absolutely denied the allegations leveled on it with regard to the rumors concerning the AFC elections,” it said in a statement sent to AFP.

The Olympic body said it was asked to clarify its position by the FIFA’s ethics committee on April 16.

“The OCA was quick to respond on the very same day denying the baseless accusations and requested FIFA to name the source,” it said, adding that FIFA denied to reveal who had made the claims.

“However, subsequently OCA found out … that the base of these allegations was the interview given by Mr. Bin Hammam, President of AFC to the SBS, an Australian broadcaster on 30th of March 2009.”

It added that Bin Hammam “leveled allegations on OCA without any proof, which is a part of his unwise campaign and has a created a division in football in the Asian continent”.

“The OCA further expects new accusations and rumors from Bin Hammam till the elections are completed on 8th May which is part of his election strategy.

“Clearly, the OCA cannot leave such accusations unanswered and is now preparing to undertake legal action against these so called ’sources’ along with at least 15 countries who have also been wrongly implicated.”

Qatar’s Bin Hammam, accused by his opponents of running the AFC like a dictator, says he will step down as AFC chief if he loses the FIFA seat, despite his term not expiring until 2011.

He was not immediately available for comment on Monday.

Tags: AFC, Ahmad Al Sabah, al khalifa, al sabah, allegations, Asia, asian continent, asian football confederation, Australia, bahraini, baseless accusations, broadcaster, CAF Champions League, crown prince, FIFA, fifa executive committee, football associations, kuwait, mr bin, Murray, national olympic committees, oca, olympic council, president mohamed, Qatar, sbs television, sheikh ahmad, SINGAPORE, stake

Blatter demands fair play in AFC leadership row

April 17, 2009

SINGAPORE (AFP) – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has demanded all sides play by the book in an increasingly bitter battle for power inside the Asian Football Confederation.

The head of the sport’s world governing body made the comments as relations between AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam and his chief rival, Bahrain’s Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, plummet.

Shaikh Salman, Bahrain’s Crown Prince, is challenging Bin Hammam for his seat on FIFA’s executive committee, with the winner decided at the AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur on May 8.

Qatar’s Bin Hammam, accused by his opponents of being a dictator, says he will step down as AFC chief if he loses the FIFA seat, despite his term not expiring until 2011.

The battle, which both sides claim to be winning, has become increasingly political among the powerful factions within the AFC’s 46 member nations, with Japan, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia all opposed to Bin Hammam.

On Wednesday, South Korea’s football association filed a complaint with FIFA’s ethics committee against the Qatari, accusing him of “groundless, bitter accusations.”

The row stems from remarks Bin Hammam made in a television interview in February, in which he blasted Korea Football Association chief Cho Jung-Yeon, saying he was ready to “cut Cho’s head off.”

Meanwhile, the ethics committee is reportedly probing claims by Bin Hammam that the Olympic Council of Asia, via its national Olympic committees, was trying to pressure national football associations to vote for Sheikh Salman.

Blatter, a long-time supporter of Bin Hammam, said all sides needed to start showing more respect and discipline.

“Football is a universal sport based on the fundamental principles of discipline and respect for opponents and the laws of the game… underpinned by the values of fair play and ethics,” he said in a statement.

“These principles and values must be applied not only on the field of play, but also in the administration and governance of football, particularly in the area of sports politics.

“And, of course, this includes elections to the governing bodies of football.

“As president of FIFA, it is my duty to remind all members of the Asian football community of the importance of these values in the run-up to the election scheduled for May 8 for the vacant Asian seat on the FIFA executive committee.”

Several key proposals made by Bin Hammam have proved to be controversial, and helped spark the move to oust him.

These include his plan to move the AFC headquarters out of Malaysia, a proposed 12-year marketing deal with World Sport Group and amendments to the AFC statutes that would consolidate his power.

Despite the move to unseat him, Bin Hammam believes he has the numbers to remain at AFC House, claiming this month that he has the support of 33 of the 46 members nations so far, with a two-thirds majority required.

Asia has four seats on the FIFA executive committee — South Korea’s Chung Mong-Joon as vice-president, Japan’s Junji Ogura from East Asia, Thailand’s Worawi Makudi from Southeast Asia, and Bin Hammam.

Bin Hammam’s is the only position up for election.

Tags: al khalifa, asian football confederation, bahrain, bitter battle, CAF Champions League, chief rival, Cho, Cho Jung-, Chung Mong-, crown prince, East Asia, FIFA, fifa president sepp blatter, football association, football associations, hammam, Japan, kuala lumpur, laws of the game, long time supporter, Malaysia, member nations, national olympic committees, olympic council, president mohamed, Qatar, qatari, saudi arabia, Sepp Blatter, shaikh salman, SINGAPORE, south korea, southeast asia, television interview, Thailand, universal sport, world governing body

Blatter demands fair play in AFC leadership row

April 16, 2009

SINGAPORE (AFP) – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has demanded all sides play by the book in an increasingly bitter battle for power inside the Asian Football Confederation.

The head of the sport’s world governing body made the comments as relations between AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam and his chief rival, Bahrain’s Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, plummet.

Shaikh Salman is challenging Bin Hammam for his seat on FIFA’s executive committee, with the winner decided at the AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur on May 8.

Qatar’s Bin Hammam says he will step down as AFC chief if he loses the FIFA seat, despite his term not expiring until 2011.

The battle, which both sides claim to be winning, has become increasingly political among the powerful factions within the AFC’s 46 member nations, with Japan South Korea, and Saudi Arabia all opposed to Bin Hammam.

On Wednesday, South Korea’s football association filed a complaint with FIFA’s ethics committee against the Qatari, accusing him of “groundless, bitter accusations.”

Blatter said all sides needed to start showing more respect and discipline.

“These principles and values must be applied not only on the field of play, but also in the administration and governance of football, particularly, in the area of sports politics.

“And, of course, this includes elections to the governing bodies of football.

Bin Hammam’s is the only position up for election.