“No election should be open to coercion, threats or bribery”

The president of the Jordan Football Federation (JFA), Ali Bin Al Husseinreiterated that “no election should be open to coercion, threats or bribery”, in response to the investigation that the Asian Confederation (AFC) has initiated for his comments after its last Congress, which supported the president of the FIFA, Gianni Infantino.

“No election should be open to coercion, threats or bribery. I remain firm in that principle. It was a declaration of principles, not an accusation against any person,” said the Jordanian prince as a clarification to his message published on social networks, which the judicial bodies of the AFC will evaluate for the possible adoption of measures.

Ali Bin Al Hussein He was one of the four opponents that Infantino beat in the elections called in 2016 and, after the AFC Congress in Tokyo, on the 23rd, and the support shown for Infantino in the elections on March 18, 2027, he questioned its development.

“The first two days were about football, which we all serve. The last day was pure politics at the behest of Gianni Infantino. There were reports that Asia has a united position when it comes to electing the next FIFA president. In fact, no one was allowed to speak, question, debate or talk to the media. Lack of transparency leads to lack of accountability. No amount of coercion, threats or bribes should be allowed,” he wrote on social media.

The AFC opens an investigation and rejects irregularities in its Congress

Given these statements, the AFC announced the start of an investigation; He defended that the Congress strictly complied with the regulations for its development and stated that the president of the Jordanian Federation did not request the floor, nor did any other member association.

The body chaired by Bahraini Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al Khalifa, also Infantino’s rival in the 2016 elections, rejected any suggestion that the congressional sessions were conducted improperly or that the organization’s democratic processes had been compromised.

In his latest response to the AFC, the Jordanian leader clarified that his publication of October 25 referred to how voting for the FIFA presidency works, in which each member association casts its own vote.

“He expressed my opinion on the importance of transparency in football governance. His last sentence establishes a principle that the entire football family shares: no election should be open to coercion, threats or bribery. I stand firm on that principle. It was a statement of principle, not an accusation against any person,” he maintained.

He also assured that “when concerns arise, the appropriate place for them is the competent agencies” and expressed his respect for the AFC, its judicial agencies and his willingness to cooperate fully with any process.

“As established by the FIFA Statutes, the Jordanian Football Association will cast its vote in the FIFA presidential election independently. I will not make any further comments while the matter is under consideration,” added Ali bin Al Hussein, who called last August to “eliminate the secret vote in the FIFA presidential elections.”