Japan football leader resigns over World Cup issues

The vice president of Japan’s football association resigned on Wednesday. He said the way the association handled issues around the World Cup did not match his personal values.

Takeshi Okada, who coached Japan at the World Cup in 1998 and again in 2010, stepped down a week after the head of Asian football supported Gianni Infantino’s bid to be re-elected as FIFA president.

Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa gave his strong support at a meeting in Tokyo.

This support came after the AFC joined European and North American football bodies in criticizing Infantino. They were unhappy about his plan to allow private investors into FIFA’s top competitions, like the World Cup.

Infantino has faced calls to resign. He has also lost support from some associations as he aims for a fourth and final term.

Okada, one of three vice presidents of the Japan Football Association (JFA), said he was resigning “entirely of my own volition.”

“Throughout my career I have treasured the social value of sport based on my conviction that sport must be conducted with integrity,” he said.

“However, concerning the series of responses surrounding the recent FIFA World Cup, there is a significant gap between those responses and my own beliefs. As a sportsman, I cannot accept them.”

Infantino has been leading FIFA since 2016 and is running for re-election in March. He apologized for the failed private investment project.

Two months ago the AFC and Sheikh Salman hinted they might change their support for Infantino.

A joint letter from the AFC, UEFA, and CONCACAF stated that football “belongs to no individual.”

Okada mentioned that his decision was made “after careful and repeated deliberation.”

“Considering our relationship with the AFC and the impact on Japanese football, I understand there are practical reasons for aligning our stance with that of the AFC,” he said.