Japan Football Boss Resigns After Asia Endorses Infantino

Takeshi Okada stepped down from his role as vice president of the Japan Football Association on Tuesday. He cited a conflict between his personal values and the direction of football’s leadership. His departure comes one week after Asian football leaders formally backed Gianni Infantino for re-election.

Okada, who coached Japan at the 1998 and 2010 World Cups, served as one of three vice presidents for the JFA. He stated he was leaving entirely of his own volition. He described a lifelong commitment to running sport with integrity. He said there is a significant gap between recent official responses and his own beliefs as a sportsman.

The resignation follows a public endorsement by Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation. Al-Khalifa announced the AFC's support for Infantino at a meeting in Tokyo. This move contradicted a position taken just two months earlier. At that time, the AFC had joined UEFA and CONCACAF in criticizing Infantino. The group signed a joint letter stating that football belongs to no individual.

The shift in the AFC's stance occurred weeks after Infantino apologized for a failed proposal. The plan would have opened FIFA's premium competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors. Infantino has led the global body since 2016. He is seeking a fourth and final term in a vote scheduled for March.

Okada acknowledged the practical reasons for Japan aligning with the AFC. He noted the importance of the relationship between the two bodies for Japanese football. However, he said he could not accept the recent conduct. He described his decision as the result of careful and repeated deliberation.

Infantino faces calls to step down from some national associations. He has lost support from governing bodies in Europe and North America over the investment proposal. The AFC's new backing provides a major regional block in favor of his continued leadership.