Year: 2015

A government that would not let go!

While the public is waiting with great anticipation for the privatization of both Persepolis and Esteghlal as a result of the government plan to let football run its own without government subsidies, the signs are quite different and contradictory.

Interfering in Football Federation (FFIRI) business.

Members of the general assembly of FFIRI have finally gathered for an extra ordinary meeting in Tehran on Monday. The FFIRI was under severe pressure to assemble amid variety of accusations of corruption, mismanagement and malpractice from parliament members and other challengers.

Many FFIRI members, who include all the league clubs, demanded that Kaffashian organizes an extraordinary meeting to respond to these perturbing accusations. After a long procrastination, the meeting was finally conducted.

The Minister for Youth and Sports , Goudarzi

The Minister of Youth and Sport, Goudarzi, who is not a member of the General Assembly , attended this meeting to confirm beyond any shadow of doubts that the government is sticking to its policy of Big Brother in Football. For meetings as such, normally a low-level government representative is present as an observer to ensure the application of the byelaws of that particular federation and the proper conduct of any elections. A person in the rank of Minister is NOT usually required for such tasks; however, Goudarzi has been blatant in his direct interferences in football affairs and even down to appointment of his own men in the federation management structure.

The meeting attended by 64 members, and one non-member plus his entourage, began with the financial issues. The Audit Firm that was working with the FFIRI last year, refused to continue working further with the federation for unknown reasons, according to Kaffashian. The FFIRI was severely criticized for monetary irregularities by its own members and regulators. Kaffashian admitted that his management should have been more transparent in its financial dealings. A new Audit Firm has been appointed, however, many questions are still pending which Kaffashian promised will be delivered by the new auditors.

How to dismiss the discontented?

21 members of the general assembly in a signed a letter demanded that the federation bans IRIB cameras from all football matches under the auspices of the federation like Team Melli, League and Hazfi matches. The government owned IRIB has persistently refused to pay broadcast rights for football matches. However, true to his interventions and tendencies to interfere in FFIRI activities, the minster of Youth and Sports objected to this move and said that general assembly members should not get themselves involved in such matters!

His Excellency the minister fell short of telling the assembly members to simply listen to orders and drink their cup of tea quietly before going home!

The role model

As soon as the meeting was over, the Minister who must have been anticipating lots of questions by the media regarding his role and unconventional presence in this meeting, made a quick dash to exit while ignoring the few reporters who intercepted him for questioning. The minster sped away in his car. A fine

Yet , another failure to deal!

While the government is under severe financial pressure due to the drop in oil prices , the move to rid itself from the heavy burden of running Esteghlal and Persepolis seems quite logical , in fact , quite essential. However, politically, there are factions in the same government that loathes losing control on the most popular sport in the land. It is question of prestige and interest.

Hossein Hedayati

The sale of the two clubs has failed for the 4th time. The most fervent of Persepolis club is one Hossein Hedayati who has bid every time the auction was on. This time however, Hedayati must regret his bid as he fell victim to his love and passion for Persepolis. Steel Azin owner has deposited 8.7 billion toman as a pre-requisite for the auction. After the conclusion of the auction and failure to declare a winner, a court in Tehran has impounded Hedayati’s deposit as a result of a petition by one of his many creditors.

Hedayati has been spending a fortune on football supporting Persepolis and Team Melli. One the other hand, there is also a line of creditors demanding money from Hedayati and many of the companies he owns.

Team Melli is further depleted !

A depleted Team Melli will be flying to Tashkent on Tuesday 11:00 am missing 7 players. The latest additions,  is one of the most experienced players, Seyed Jalal Hosseini and Foolad young starlet , Soroush Rafei. The pair is facing administration issues preventing them from leaving Iran.

As reported earlier in teammelli.com , Hosseini is facing tax evasion charges due to the non-payment of taxes while he was playing with Persepolis. Hosseini learned of his dilemma when he returned to Iran after the end of the QSL season where he was playing with Al Ahli in Qatar.  Hosseini is adamant that according to his contract , Persepolis was supposed to pay for his income taxes , something they never did.

Soroush Rafei is faced with the military service which in Iran means the person is not allowed to leave the country until the completion of his duty. However, there are exemptions based on admissible evidences. Queiroz personally took Rafei’s issue to task but it appears that his efforts were fruitless.

Although the decision on both are not final with another 30 odd hours remaining to the flight , it is hardly unlikely that the matter will be resolved. Hosseini’s absence will be a real blow to Team Melli already missing Amir Hossein Sadeghi in the central defense and Mehrdad Pooladi. Montazeri will most probably be paired with young Pouraliganji in the central defense while Ghafoori , Heydari or Beikzadeh will be occupying the defensive flanks.

The list of the absentees on the trip to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan is as follows:

  1. Ashkan Dejagah (Injury)
  2. Alireza Jahanbakhsh (injury)
  3. Ghassim Haddadifar (Fatigue)
  4. Jalal Hosseini (Taxation)
  5. Karim Ansarifard (Form)
  6. Mehrdad Pooladi (Military Service)
  7. Soroush Rafei (Military Service)

Haddaifar leaves Team Melli squad.

Ghassim Haddadifar , the midfield player of Zob Ahan has announced that he is temporarily leaving Team Melli camp due to personal reasons.

Haddadifar (32 years) who recently won the Hazfi cup said that he had a talk with Queiroz and explained to him his reasons for seeking leave of absence. Queiroz approved Haddadifar’s request and hence the midfielder will not be available for the Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan matches later this month. Haddadifar is believed to be suffering fatigue. Sources also indicated that since the Zob Ahan midfielder has failed to win a regular start-up position in Team Melli under Queiroz and has been a peripheral player, he opted to excuse himself at least temporarily after a long tough season.

Ghassim Haddadifar emphasized that this is not a farewell to Team Melli but a temporarily leave that he needs to sort himself out. He will be available at anytime selected after this period, Haddadifar added.

While Haddadifar impact on Team Melli is not considered to be as serious as Ashkan Dejagah, who is missing from the squad due to a slight injury , Team Melli has plenty of talented midfield players who should deliver in the next two matches.

Team Melli will be facing Uzbekistan on Thursday 11thJune in Tashkent in a friendly international. On the 16th June, Team Melli will be meeting with Turkmenistan in the first match of the FIFA World Cup 2018 group qualification rounds.

Iran is grouped with Oman, India, Turkmenistan and Guam.

Uzbekistan vs. Iran : Match preview

Despite a disappointing AFC Asian Cup 2015 , Mirjalal Qasimov is determined to bounce back strongly in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The friendly against Iran at Bunyodkor’s Metropolitan Stadium, Tashkent is seen as tough test against the top ranked Asian team before starting the long road in the qualifiers. A strong showing by Qasimov’s men will augur well for their first match against North Korea away in Puyong Yang.

Mirjalal Qasimov – Head Coach of Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan’s top priority is making it to the FIFA World Cup 2018 being held next door in Russia. Nothing short of qualification for their first ever World Cup will be satisfactory for the Uzbek who seem to have put all their resources into this project.

Uzbekistan is going through a transition where the older generation has all but disappeared and Qasimov is counting on young promising players to achieve their objective. Players like Sardor Rashidov of Bunyodkor  was excellent in the AFC Asian Cup 2015 while Igor Sergeyev (Pakhtakor) and Ikrom Aliboev are awaiting their chances to shine for their country.

Qasimov still has some of the veterans on hand. Former AFC Player of the year Server Djeparov (2008 and 2011)  and the tough tackling Vitaliy Denisov are still part of the squad but playing peripheral roles. Their experience is considered vital by Qasimov in their quest to make it to Russia in 2018.

7 Uzbek players make their living abroad including  Fazil Musayev who had quite a successful season in Iran’s winning the league title with Sepahan Esfahan.

 

Iran

Iran on the other hand , is considered on of the favorites to make it to the FIFA World Cup 2018. Like Uzbekistan , this match will be a stern test and a good warm up for Carlos Queiroz who found Uzbekistan quite a tough nut to crack when they last met in the qualifiers of the last World Cup.

It is not expected that Queiroz will divert away from his solid defensive game plan. With the skeleton of the 2014 World Cup and 2015 Asian Cup team , Queiroz will continue with the same strategy minus Javad Nekounam who has retired from international football.

The most significant blow to Queiroz will be the absence of Ashkan Dejagah , one of Iran’s best players for the last few years. However , with the excellent Vahid Amiri in form and the emergence of Ehsan Hajsafy in midfield, Dejagah’s absence will be minimized.

The only real concern for Queiroz will be in the goal. Team Melli might find it tough going without a quality keeper between the posts.

 

Prediction

It is expected to be a tight and closed match with  the most likely result being  goalless or a small margin win for either sides. Entertainment value is not expected to be high.

 

 

Match details

UZBEKISTAN vs. IRAN

Venue: Bunyodkor’s Metropolitan Stadium,

City : Tashkent

date: Thursday 11th June  2015

Time: 17:30 (Tehran)  13:00 GMT

 

 

 

IRAN vs. UZBEKISTAN

Head to Head results

H / A / N Matches W D L Goals + / –
Home 1 0 0 1 0 – 1 -1
Away 2 1 1 0 1 – 0 +1
Neutral 2 2 0 0 6 – 1 +5
Total 5 3 1 1 7 – 2 +5

 

Date Comp. H / A / N Final score Stadium Attendance
14.11.2012 World Cup Qualifier H 0 – 1 Azadi Stadium , Tehran 40,000
03.06.2012 World Cup Qualifier A 1 – 0 JAR Stadium -Tashkent 9,000
05.09.2009 Friendly A 0 – 0 Tashkent / Pakhtakor 9,500
11.07.2007 Asian Cup / Group C N 2 – 1 National Stadium Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 3,000
14.12.1998 Asian Games N 4 – 0 Suphachalasai 2,500

 

UZBEKISTAN Squad

# Players’ name Date of birth Football Club

Goalkeepers
1 Eldor Suyunov -1991 Nasaf
2 Akbar Turaev -1989 Bunyodkor
3 Ignatiy Nesterov- 1983 Lokomotiv

Defenders
4 Anzur Ismoilov- 1985 Changchun Yatai, China
5 Shavkat Mullajanov -1986 Lokomotiv
6 Shukhrat Muhammadiev -1989 Nasaf
7 Egor Krimets -1992 Pakhtakor
8 Islom Tuhtahodžaev -1989 Lokomotiv
9 Vitaliy Denisov -1987 Lokomotiv, Russia
10 Akmal Šorahmedov -1986 Bunyodkor
11 Farrukh Sajfiev- 1991 Nasaf

Midfielder
12 Aziz Haydarov- 1985 Al Shabab U.A.E.
13 Odil Ahmedov- 1987  -Krasnodar, Russia
14 Server Djeparov -1983 -Ulsan, Hyundai
15 Lutfulla Turaev -1988 -Lokomotiv
16 Sandzhar Tursunov- 1987 vorskla, Ukraine
17 Sardor Rashidov -1991 Bunyodkor
18 Shohrukh Gadoev- 1991 Nasaf
19 Ikrom Aliboev -1994
20 Khasanov Jasur – Locomotive 1983 Lokomotiv
21 Fazil Musayev – 1989 Sepahan, Iran

Forwards
22 Zohir Kuzibaev -1986 Mash’al
23 Nasimov Baҳodir – 1987 Padideҳ Eron
24 Igor Sergeyev -1993 Pakhtakor

Iran continues top Asian FIFA Ranking

Iran maintained its top Asian FIFA Ranking in the latest  list published by FIFA today.

With 717 points, Iran is ranked 41 in the world  one rank below Israel (725) and one above Hungary (685). Japan (623) continued to chase Iran in second place in Asia, Korea Republic (587) and Australia (532)  are 3rd and 4th.

 

FIFA Ranking

AFC

4th June 2015

2015 (100 %) 2014 (50 %) 2013 (30 %) 2012 (20 %)
Rank Team Total Points Previous Points +/- Positions Avg. AVG WGT Avg. AVG WGT Avg. AVG WGT Avg. AVG WGT
41 IRNIran 717(716.54) 689 -1 398.22 398.22 389.96 194.98 205.24 61.57 308.87 61.77
52 JPNJapan 623(622.81) 614 -2 337.69 337.69 237.53 118.77 346.06 103.82 312.65 62.53
58 KORKorea Republic 587(586.53) 575 -1 329.82 329.82 205.65 102.82 301.32 90.40 317.47 63.49
63 AUSAustralia 532(532.18) 531 1 281.35 281.35 230.24 115.12 207.62 62.29 367.11 73.42
73 UAEUnited Arab Emirates 496(495.72) 501 -5 253.63 253.63 259.17 129.58 277.90 83.37 145.70 29.14
74 UZBUzbekistan 479(478.85) 476 -2 203.71 203.71 248.23 124.11 302.76 90.83 301.00 60.20
79 CHNChina PR 409(408.57) 408 3 245.50 245.50 132.40 66.20 147.85 44.36 262.53 52.51
86 IRQIraq 381(381.10) 383 0 218.68 218.68 130.09 65.05 135.58 40.67 283.51 56.70
97 QATQatar 334(334.43) 337 2 170.23 170.23 162.48 81.24 151.16 45.35 188.07 37.61
98 KSASaudi Arabia 329(329.15) 349 -3 135.09 135.09 222.79 111.40 149.41 44.82 189.20 37.84
101 OMAOman 319(319.15) 341 -4 88.34 88.34 269.60 134.80 189.26 56.78 196.15 39.23
103 JORJordan 316(315.65) 316 0 60.71 60.71 268.07 134.04 250.00 75.00 229.52 45.90
106 BHRBahrain 299(298.85) 299 2 147.44 147.44 151.92 75.96 120.79 36.24 196.05 39.21
118 PLEPalestine 242(241.70) 190 23 57.57 57.57 271.62 135.81 85.02 25.51 114.03 22.81
121 SYRSyria 234(234.26) 225 4 141.10 141.10 85.69 42.85 86.70 26.01 121.51 24.30
125 KUWKuwait 218(218.22) 224 1 79.23 79.23 122.28 61.14 121.34 36.40 207.26 41.45

 

LAST UPDATE: 04 Jun 2015

Points outside Ranking calculation

P = M * I * T * C
No matches available

Points Last Month

P = M * I * T * C
No matches available

Ranking History

Last Updated 04 Jun 2015 / Next Release 09 Jul 2015
Rank Date Month MP W L D Best Ranking Worst Ranking Best move Worst move
41 2015 June 0 0 0 0 – – – –
40 2015 May 0 0 0 0 – – – –
40 2015 April 2 1 1 0 – – – –
42 2015 March 0 0 0 0 – – – –
41 2015 February 4 3 0 1 – – – –
51 2015 January 0 0 0 0 – – – –
51 2014 – 10 3 3 4 34 56 +5 (April) -7 (October)
33 2013 – 9 7 1 1 33 67 +15 (July) -10 (June)
59 2012 – 14 4 3 7 44 59 +14 (November) -15 (December)
45 2011 – 13 10 1 2 42 65 +21 (February) -4 (July)
66 2010 – 9 6 2 1 57 67 +8 (September) -4 (March)
64 2009 – 18 6 4 8 42 64 +2 (February) -11 (April)
43 2008 – 19 11 2 6 37 51 +11 (July) -10 (April)
41 2007 – 12 7 1 4 32 47 +5 (February) -8 (April)
38 2006 – 15 8 2 5 19 47 +5 (November) -24 (July)
19 2005 – 11 8 2 1 15 21 +2 (July) -3 (September)
20 2004 – 18 13 2 3 17 31 +7 (March) -3 (February)
28 2003 – 11 6 4 1 28 47 +7 (November) -7 (June)
33 2002 – 10 4 2 4 29 34 +2 (May) -3 (February)
29 2001 – 20 11 5 4 29 51 +8 (September) -7 (June)
37 2000 – 24 15 3 6 37 53 +7 (April) -6 (March)
49 1999 – 6 2 0 4 44 51 +3 (June) -20 (January)
27 1998 – 16 9 6 1 27 47 +17 (December) -6 (October)
46 1997 – 22 11 4 7 46 87 +17 (June) -6 (April)
83 1996 – 19 13 3 3 57 122 +65 (July) -7 (August)
108 1995 – 0 0 0 0 63 108 +26 (September) -43 (October)
75 1994 – 4 1 1 2 57 75 +2 (February) -9 (November)
59 1993 – 5 2 3 0 54 59 +7 (August) -4 (September)

English

Putting Iran’s football name into disrepute

Jlloyd Samuel , a sad saga.

A disturbing interview with Trinidadian footballer Jlloyed Samuel conducted by ISNA news agency highlighted the degree at which Iranian football chiefs and administrators has put Iran’s name into disrepute.

Jlloyed Samuel the ex-Esteghlal player who currently plays for the relegated team Peykan , in Iran Persian Gulf League is virtually a prisoner in Iran and not allowed to leave due to that renowned charge of Income Tax evasion by footballers.

“Not only, Esteghlal has not paid my salaries, and that was the major reason that I left them, they have also ceased paying the income tax on my behalf that was part of their contractual obligation. As such I am not able to leave the country until this matter is sorted out” a despairing Samuel told ISNA.

“I am in frequent contact with Esteghlal management and all I hear repeatedly are promises one after another. Nothing but false promises and false hopes. I reached a stage that I was having difficulty making ends meet. I had no choice but to file an official complaint against Esteghlal with FIFA. The verdict was very clear in my benefit, yet Esteghlal has still not paid me.” Samuel said.

“I have a problem with Peykan as well but hope that at least with this club, matters do not reach FIFA as I hope that an amicable solution is reached. I am a professional player who came to Iran to work and earn money; I have to be paid like any other professional. When a footballer is not paid his due, it is impossible for him to concentrate and give his best while playing. His mind will always be occupied. Performance in football is not just about the physical state of a player but also his mental state. So many problems are piling up on me because of lack of money. I don’t understand why this is happening in Iran. People like me come here to give their best and expect to be rewarded and paid, I enjoyed playing in Esteghlal and loved Iran I loved the fans, but slowly this feeling turned into a nightmare. It cannot be good for Iran’s football reputation at all.”

“It is a joke that I am now being held here against my well. I am not an Iranian citizen and I need to go back to my family and country. I have sought diplomatic counseling and been advised to amicably sort out the issue first, before the diplomats escalate the issue and it becomes embarrassing.”

Carlos Queiroz was the last victim of the tax authority as his employer has neglected to pay his taxes. Queiroz was banned from traveling before some temporary payment helped to lift the travel ban.

 Yet again, Iranian football management has miserably failed, not only professionally but also ethically and honorably. The incompetency and corruption of managers reaches its peak at Esteghlal and Persepolis clubs, both owned , managed and controlled by the government. No wonder that the owner wants to rid itself from these two clubs.

Source: ISNA

List of selected Team Melli players announced.

Carlos Queiroz short-listed the name of 23 players for the upcoming matches.

The friendly match against Uzbekistan on 11th June will be followed by the first World Cup 2018 qualifiers against Turkmenistan in 16th June 2015.

The list will be amended after the final of the Hazfi Cup to accommodate Naft Tehran and Zob Ahan players , whose players are absent from the submitted list. Also missing, without any explanation is the name of Ashkan Dejagah , Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Karim Ansarifard. The latter has not been anywhere near Team Melli form , so his exclusion is not a big surprise but both Dejagah and Jahanbakhsh had splendid seasons with their teams.

From the regulars of Team Melli , the other absentees are Amir Hossein Sadeghi , who has not been at top form this season and Hossein Mahini . There will be a few disappointments for some of the players who had a very good season and were on the brink of breaking into  Team Melli final roster. Amongst this category are players such as Soroush Rafei , Saman Nariman-Jahan, Ali Karimi and Ahmad Noorullahei.

TEAM MELLI SQUAD

World Cup 2018 qualifiers

Player's NameCapsGoalsTeam
AKHBARI, Mohammadreza0Saipa
AMIRI, Vahid51Naft Tehran
AZMOUN, Sardar84Rubin Kazan
BIRANVAND, Alireza10Naft Tehran
BEIGZADEH, Hashim201Esteghlal
EBRAHIMI, Omid90Esteghlal
EZZATOLAHEI , Saeed0Atletico Madrid
GHAFOORI, Vourya80Sepahan
GHOOCHANNEJAD, Reza2513Al Wakrah
HADDADIFAR, Ghassim180Zob Ahan
HAGHIGHI, Alireza160FC Penafiel
HAJSAFY, Ehsan674Sepahan
HEYDARI, Khosrow550Esteghlal
HOSSEINI, Jalal966Al Ahli
KNANI-ZADEGAN, Mohammad Hossein0Malavan
MAKANI, Sousha30Persepolis
MOHAMMADI, Milad0Rah Ahan
MONTAZERI, Pejman281Umm Salal
POURALIGANJI, Morteza61Tianjin Teda
POURGHAZ, Ezzatollah0Malavan
REZAEIAN, Ramin30Rah Ahan
SHARIFI, Mehdi20Sepahan
SHOJAEI, Masoud606Al Shahaniya
TAROMI , Mehdi0Persepolis
TEYMOURIAN, Andranik909Tractorsazi
TORABI, Mehdi0Saipa

Team Melli’s training camp in Turkey is off.

Team Melli’s proposed camp in Turkey is off , according to Team Manager Afshin Peyrovani.

The camp was scheduled for 2nd June to 9th in Istanbul or Ankara, however due to various logistical and financial difficulties, the camp is now canceled, Peyrovani said to the reporters.

The Manager of Team Melli went in length to explain all the reasons behind the cancelation but at the end, it was apparent that money or lack of it was the main reason for cancelation of the training camp in preparation to the Turkmenistan game.

Peyrovani added that Team Melli will be flying to Uzbekistan on a chartered flight and then proceed to the city of Daşoguz , Turkmenistan for the opener match of Iran’s FIFA World Cup 2018 qualification rounds. Peyrovani explained in details on who is paying for the cost of each leg of the flights!

On the subject of the venue, it is apparent that the AFC competitions commission has turned down FFIRI’s protest against the venue and the match is cleared to be played at Turkmenistan’s 3rd largest city. There was no reason to reject Daşoguz just because it is 600 km away from the capital.

As it is becoming fairly obvious that cost and expenditure is a major concern for FFIRI and Team Melli, expenses and cost are mentioned on every opportunity.  FFIRI seems to have difficulty in meeting the requirements of the squad including logistics.  Peyrovani talked about the proposal by Guam to play both legs of the matches in the Group D of the World Cup qualifiers in Iran. The suggestion from the Pacific nation is conditional on Iran paying for the expenses of the Guam squad including air fares. Peyrovani said the suggestion sounds good and it will be seriously considered. “If that is approved, one of the matches with Guam will be played in another Iranian City away from Tehran to allow the fans to watch their national team.”

No doubt that the accountant in FFIRI HQ is busy counting bearing the cost of Guam in Tehran versus flying to  Hagåtña in Guam some  9445 km (5869 miles) away. Both teams will be travelling a good 17 to 18 hours to reach destination considering a good connection in at least two airports for connecting flights.

Typical Flight Times:

Tehran to Manila 13:15 hours (transit through one of the Persian Gulf airports)

Manila  to Guam 3:55 hours

FIFA officials arrested on corruptions charges in Zurich.

ZURICH — Swiss authorities conducted an extraordinary early-morning operation here Wednesday to arrest several top soccer officials and extradite them to the United States on federal corruption charges.

As leaders of FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, gathered for their annual meeting, more than a dozen plain-clothed Swiss law enforcement officials arrived unannounced at the Baur au Lac hotel, an elegant five-star property with views of the Alps and Lake Zurich. They went to the front desk to get room numbers and then proceeded upstairs.

The arrests were carried out peacefully. One FIFA official, Eduardo Li of Costa Rica, was led by the authorities from his room to a side-door exit of the hotel. He was allowed to bring his luggage, which was adorned with FIFA logos.

The charges, backed by an F.B.I. investigation, allege widespread corruption in FIFA over the past two decades, involving bids for World Cups as well as marketing and broadcast deals.
Despite Wednesday’s arrests, Sepp Blatter is expected to win a fifth term as FIFA’s president on Friday.

Sepp Blatter became president of FIFA in 1998. He has held other jobs with the organization.
Several hours after the soccer officials were apprehended at the hotel, Swiss authorities said they had opened criminal cases related to the bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups — incidents that, more than any others, encapsulated FIFA’s unusual power dynamic. “In the course of said proceedings,” the Swiss officials said, “electronic data and documents were seized today at FIFA’s head office in Zurich.”

The arrests were a startling blow to FIFA, a multibillion-dollar organization that governs the world’s most popular sport but has been plagued by accusations of bribery for decades.

The inquiry is also a major threat to Sepp Blatter, FIFA’s longtime president who is generally recognized as the most powerful person in sports, though he was not charged. Blatter has for years acted as a de facto head of state. Politicians, star players, national soccer officials and global corporations that want their brands attached to the sport have long genuflected before him.

An election, seemingly pre-ordained to give Mr. Blatter a fifth term as president, is scheduled for Friday. A FIFA spokesman insisted at the news conference that Mr. Blatter was not involved in any alleged wrongdoing and that the election would go ahead as planned.
The soccer officials charged are:

 
1) Jeffrey Webb: president of Concacaf, vice president of FIFA.
2) Eduardo Li : president of Costa Rica’s soccer federation, member of FIFA’s executive committee .
3) Eugenio Figueredo : President of Uruguay’s soccer federation (1997-2006), vice president of Conmebol (1993-2013)
4) Jack Warner: ex-President of Concacaf – ex- Vice Presdint FIFA
5) Julio Rocha:  offical of Nicaraguan soccer federation and FIFA development officer.
6) Costas Takkas: Former official of Cayman Islands federation
7) Rafael Esquivel: president of Venezuela’s soccer
8) José Maria Marin: president of the Brazilian soccer federation (2012 until April 2015)
9) Nicolás Leoz – ex- president of Conmebol (1986 -2013) and was a longtime member of FIFA’s executive committee.

 

Possibility of an extra Asian team for the World Cup

FIFA has announced an extraordinary executive committee meeting for Saturday morning, the day after the election, where the allocation of World Cup places per continent for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, the latter which is being played in Qatar, will be confirmed.

UEFA’s allocation seems most vulnerable to be cut — it has 13 spots and with hosts Russia would have 14 in 2018. One scenario would be to say the 13 spots must include Russia’s place, with the extra place shared out between CONCACAF and Asia meaning they no longer have to play off.

FIFA vice-president Jeffrey Webb said he would welcome an extra half place for CONCACAF, adding: “I’d love it!”, but admitted that UEFA’s block vote of eight members on the 25-strong FIFA executive committee posed a problem.

He said: “This is where the imbalance is. It’s not based on sport, it’s not based on merit, it’s based on representation. That has created a lot of the problems we have in football today.”+

Web , the president of the CONCACAF confederation of countries from the Caribbean, Central and North America, has publicly spoken against the proposal by Prince Ali to increase the World Cup to 36 teams.

Webb said: “The World Cup is a jewel of football and, for me, you shouldn’t increase the spaces in a World Cup for political reasons. You should increase the spaces in the World Cup because of the development of the game. Are we going to dilute the World Cup to appease various associations?

“No, we must have real leadership and courage to stand up and address it.