FIFA named Gianni Infantino its ninth president Friday, dodging a bullet by not electing Asian Football Confederation chief Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa.
Widely considered a favourite alongside Infantino to replace the embattled Sepp Blatter, Salman’s defeat came as a surprise after the first round of voting handed the Swiss-Italian UEFA general secretary a narrow three-vote advantage when many expected greater returns for the AFC boss.
Renowned for antiquated and primitive perspectives on social and political demonstrations and causes, Salman’s defeat is a triumph for FIFA.
Though he denies allegations of his involvement in the torture of his people, Salman’s legacy is invariably sullied by such claims.
Bahraini royalty and a despot with a vice grip on social movements in the tiny Middle Eastern state, Salman has a dubious record of human rights violations during a time when FIFA is desperate to atone for decades of corruption.
Salman vowed to force reforms to modify FIFA’s tarnished image short on transparency and due process, though as the election approached, that pledge began to emit a noxious bouquet. His campaign discredited Infantino’s financial proposals while promising to make FIFA a more candid and consolidated entity.
But it’s hard not to castigate Salman for his proposals when the threat of superannuated suspicions loomed large over his candidacy.
Related: Human rights group asks FIFA to bar Sheikh Salman from presidential election
A letter addressed to Blatter in 2013 from the Bahrain Center for Human Rights urged the then-FIFA chief to reconsider nominating Salman for the Asian Football Confederation chairman position.
“Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa is involved in human rights violations with the assistance of his office and consultants against players, administrators, referees, and clubs who participated in the democracy protests in February 2011,” the report stated.
“We would like to bring to your kind attention the most important acts of revenge carried out by Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa against groups that are affiliated with football.”
At an April 2011 meeting with the Bahraini Football Association, Salman pledged to discredit and punish anyone involved in peaceful pro-democracy protests.
Unfortunately for a group of footballers, referees, administrators, and members of the BFA, Salman is a man of his word, allegedly orchestrating instances of detainment and torture.
“They spent three hours hitting me hard on my legs, while saying, ‘We will break your bones, we will destroy your future, you will never play football again with these legs,'” former Bahrain national team member Hakeem al-Oraibi told German broadcaster WRD.
Salman denies all claims.
Not surprisingly, the letter fell on deaf ears, and Salman’s reign continued both as AFC boss and as a member of FIFA’s executive office.
With Friday’s results, FIFA has avoided a potential disaster with the appointment of a member of Bahrain’s feudal monarchy.
Salman’s presidential campaign addressed FIFA reforms while ignoring the dubious speculation that clouds the Bahraini’s tenure as a football administrator. Further, Salman’s love of the sport has come into question, and if his reluctant fandom is to be considered, FIFA has avoided catastrophe.
After missing the last World Cup final because of Ramadan, Salman was asked if he would attend the 2018 finals in Brazil.
“If I’m FIFA president, I suppose I’ll have to,” he said.
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