The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Qatar Football Association (QFA) have clashed head-on over a joint statement criticizing the head of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).

According to foreign media reports such as Reuters on August 18 (local time), AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, a national of Bahrain, firmly dismissed a protest from the QFA, which took issue with the continental confederations recently uniting to publicly criticize FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Earlier, President Infantino unveiled a plan to establish a new for-profit entity named "FIFA Forward Enterprise" (FFE) dedicated to operating FIFA-hosted tournaments such as the World Cup, aiming to raise up to $4.2 billion (approx. 6 trillion won) this year through equity sales.

In response, three continental confederations—the AFC, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF)—issued a joint statement strongly opposing the move, declaring that "football does not belong to any individual." The plan ultimately faced intense backlash and was scrapped within days.

However, the QFA, known for its pro-Infantino stance, defined the AFC's collective action as an "overreach" and put the brakes on it.

QFA President Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani sent a letter of protest to the AFC demanding an explanation, stating, "There was no prior consultation with Qatar before issuing the joint statement," and asking, "On what grounds did you determine you had the authority to represent 47 member associations?"

AFC President Salman immediately hit back.

According to a reply letter obtained by Reuters, Salman retorted, "When a matter of utmost importance to Asian football arises, I have the authority and responsibility to act decisively to defend the stance of the AFC and Asian football."

He further drew a line, stating, "This action was taken in accordance with the legal powers granted by the AFC Statute, and rather, for the AFC to remain silent in such a situation would constitute a dereliction of duty and a violation of the president's responsibilities."

In stark contrast to the AFC's stance, Qatar is pursuing a firm path.

Amid FIFA's crisis over the commercial rights sale controversy, football associations from six Arab nations, including Qatar and 2030 World Cup co-host Morocco, officially declared their support for President Infantino earlier this month.

Targeting the QFA's recent series of actions, Salman pointed out that they "are undermining the unity of Asian football and shaking the AFC."

He also strongly criticized Qatar, stating, "Qatar's attitude of obsessing only over procedural issues ultimately proves that they are prioritizing superficial technical matters over the critical task of defending the interests of Asian and world football."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)