The status of Korean football, which dominates Asia, is different in the fight behind the scenes. In the diplomatic arena, he is more like a failing student.
Chung Mong-gyu (61), the head of the Korea Football Association, failed to re-enter the executive branch of the International Football Federation (FIFA), highlighting the lack of diplomatic power in Korean football.
Chairman Chung fell to sixth place out of seven candidates in the FIFA Council member election held at the 33rd Asian Football Confederation (AFC) General Assembly held in Manama, Bahrain on the 1st.
The FIFA Council is a key body that deliberates major FIFA policies. Five people were assigned to Asia, and a secret ballot was held for the 46 member countries of the AFC that day.
Chairman Chung received only 19 out of 45 valid votes, and was far from the right to be elected.
Qatar’s Sheikh Ahmad Khalifa Al Thani boasted the most votes with 40 votes, followed by Kozo Kozo (Japan, 39 votes), Yasser Almisehal (Saudi Arabia, 35 votes), Mariano Araneta Jr. (Philippines, 34 votes), and Datuk Haji. The FIFA Council was filled in the order of Hamiddin bin Haji Mohd Amin (Malaysia, 30 votes).
Last year, China gave up on the bid for the 2023 Asian Cup, but was pushed back by West Asia’s pincer attack, and this election reaffirmed the pain of being pushed by Southeast Asia.
The reason why Korea was pushed out of soccer diplomacy was that it was pushed back in the ‘War of Money’. Qatar and Saudi Arabia, oil-producing countries that are criticized for sport washing, are investing huge amounts of oil money.
A typical example is that Qatar, which hosted the World Cup for the first time in West Asia last year, beat Korea to take the right to host the 2023 Asian Cup. Saudi Arabia, which came out as an ally here, ran as a sole candidate for the 2027 Asian Cup bid held at this general meeting and won, creating an unprecedented situation in which the third consecutive Asian Cup was held in West Asia. In other words, the realism that puts capital ahead of the ideal theory of balanced hosting with East Asia prevailed.
It is in the same context that the Asian Champions League, an Asian club competition, has been changed to a fall season in favor of West Asia, and the foreign player quota has disappeared.
The fact that Korea had a closer relationship with FIFA than with AFC also provided an excuse for their influence to weaken. After Chairman Chung voiced opposition to West Asia, which virtually monopolizes AFC in the same election four years ago, his position has narrowed even more. 바카라
While there is no domestic company sponsoring the AFC, it is known that there is considerable dissatisfaction with Hyundai Motor Company and Kia sponsoring FIFA for 24 years.
Sports trend commentator Kim Dae-gil said, “Recently, football diplomacy feels like a royal game,” adding, “All power is focused on West Asia. In a situation where East Asian football, which led Asian football in the past, is struggling in general, we also need to come up with a solution quickly.”