Takeshi Okada has resigned as vice-president of the Japan Football Association. The 70-year-old former national team manager cited a fundamental clash of principles over the JFA's response to recent FIFA World Cup controversies.
Okada's departure, effective 24 October, was announced by the federation on Wednesday. He stated the decision was made entirely of his own volition after careful deliberation. "Throughout my career I have treasured the social value of sport based on my conviction that sport must be conducted with integrity," Okada said in a statement. "However, about the series of responses surrounding the recent FIFA World Cup, there is a significant gap between those responses and my own beliefs, and as a sportsman I cannot accept them."
His resignation follows a significant shift in the Asian Football Confederation's position. AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa recently pledged the confederation's full support for Gianni Infantino's bid for re-election as FIFA president in March 2027. This endorsement came just weeks after the AFC, alongside UEFA and CONCACAF, had criticised Infantino over a now-abandoned proposal to transfer FIFA commercial rights to a private investment firm.
Okada acknowledged the practical reasons for Japan aligning with the AFC's stance but said he could not personally support it. JFA President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto has indicated that supporting the AFC's collective position is the association's basic stance for maintaining regional relationships. Okada's term as vice-president was due to run until March 2028.
Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, apologised for the failed private investment project earlier this year. The controversy surrounding the plan and other governance decisions has created divisions within the global football community. Okada, who managed Japan at the 1998 and 2010 World Cups, is one of three JFA vice-presidents. His departure leaves a notable gap in the federation's leadership during a period of intense debate over FIFA's future direction. Leicester City's next match is at home to Stevenage on 31 October.
More detail at Anadolu Ajansı
