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Asian boss must quit, says Velappan

SINGAPORE: Asian football president Mohamed Hammam should follow Fifa vice-chief Jack Warner and quit the sport after both were suspended over bribery claims, a former top official said yesterday.

Malaysia’s Peter Velappan, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) general secretary for 30 years until 2007, said not only Mohamed but also Fifa’s entire executive committee should resign as the sport seeks to clean up its image.

“I would suggest in the interests of Fifa and global football, the entire Fifa exco (executive committee) must resign and open up a new chapter for football for the future,” Velappan said in Singapore.

“In the same way, for the future of Asian football, Mohamed should resign.” Mohamed was not available for comment yesterday after Warner’s surprise resignation from all international football posts, three weeks after he was suspended over vote-rigging claims.
Velappan supported Mohamed when he came to power in 2002 but the two later fell out. He predicted the Qatari “will follow” Warner by stepping down, and said Asia’s football leadership needed wholesale changes.

“We are not only at a crossroads but also in a crisis because now corruption has become part of the culture of football.

“Everybody now comes into football for the greed of money.” China’s Zhang Jilong is the acting AFC president after Mohamed was barred while Fifa investigates the corruption claims. But Velappan said “two or three” candidates for the presidency might emerge if Mohamed could not clear his name.
— AFP

Read more: NST

Comments

  1. skydancer425 June 2011 at 8:19 pm

    Peter Vellapan, I think your call for Mohammad Hammam to resign and all on the board stinks. Unless proven guilty there is no need for him and his cronies to step down.

    ReplyDelete

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