BEIJING, June 1 (Reuters) - Zhang Jilong says he has taken temporary charge of Asian soccer and denied saying Mohamed bin Hammam was continuing to run the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) despite his suspension on bribery allegations.
As the AFC’s senior vice-president, Zhang took temporary charge after Bin Hammam was suspended by FIFA from all soccer activity in the worst corruption scandal ever to hit the sport’s international governing body.
Chinese media quoted Zhang on Tuesday as saying Qatari Bin Hammam remained in charge but the 59-year-old Chinese denied the reports.
Bin Hammam, 62, had been due to stand against Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency on Wednesday but withdrew his candidacy before facing an ethics committee hearing into the bribery allegations.
Bin Hammam and Jack Warner, his counterpart in the North, Central American and Caribbean governing body CONCACAF, were accused of arranging to pay delegates of the Caribbean Football Union $40,000 in cash to vote for the Qatari.
Both were suspended over the allegations but FIFA’s ethics committee cleared Blatter. The case against Warner and Bin Hammam, who have denied any wrongdoing, will be heard in July.
Zhang, who was the chief local organiser for the soccer tournament at the Beijing Olympics, ran for a seat on FIFA’s executive committee earlier this year but was beaten in a vote at the AFC’s congress.
Zhang said he stood by the statement released by the AFC executive committee on Tuesday.
“We, the members of the AFC Executive Committee, express our deepest concern at the latest developments within FIFA and that involves the AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam,” it read.
“We hope the outcome of the investigation will be in the best interests of football in Asia and beyond.
“The AFC will continue its work in promoting and further developing Asian football in the spirit of Asian unity and solidarity.”
As the AFC’s senior vice-president, Zhang took temporary charge after Bin Hammam was suspended by FIFA from all soccer activity in the worst corruption scandal ever to hit the sport’s international governing body.
Chinese media quoted Zhang on Tuesday as saying Qatari Bin Hammam remained in charge but the 59-year-old Chinese denied the reports.
“Media reports published by some media organisations are inaccurate and do not reflect my position,” he said in a statement issued late on Tuesday. “I did not speak to any media outlets and take any interview.
“I am following the development closely and given the current circumstances, I will serve as acting president of the AFC in the best of my abilities and I sincerely hope that this issue will be resolved in the best interest of Asian football.”Bin Hammam, 62, had been due to stand against Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency on Wednesday but withdrew his candidacy before facing an ethics committee hearing into the bribery allegations.
Bin Hammam and Jack Warner, his counterpart in the North, Central American and Caribbean governing body CONCACAF, were accused of arranging to pay delegates of the Caribbean Football Union $40,000 in cash to vote for the Qatari.
Both were suspended over the allegations but FIFA’s ethics committee cleared Blatter. The case against Warner and Bin Hammam, who have denied any wrongdoing, will be heard in July.
Zhang, who was the chief local organiser for the soccer tournament at the Beijing Olympics, ran for a seat on FIFA’s executive committee earlier this year but was beaten in a vote at the AFC’s congress.
Zhang said he stood by the statement released by the AFC executive committee on Tuesday.
“We, the members of the AFC Executive Committee, express our deepest concern at the latest developments within FIFA and that involves the AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam,” it read.
“We hope the outcome of the investigation will be in the best interests of football in Asia and beyond.
“The AFC will continue its work in promoting and further developing Asian football in the spirit of Asian unity and solidarity.”
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