Updated 13.45
THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND is believed to be among a number of FIFA members considering their position on tomorrow’s presidential election.
The move follows this morning’s announcement by FA Chairman David Bernstein that the English footballing authority would be forced to abstain from voting if the contest goes ahead as planned. Bernstein’s statement called on the FA’s fellow FIFA members to support its request that the election be rescheduled so as to give the process some credibility.
Although the FAI was unavailable for comment when contacted by TheScore.ie earlier this afternoon, it is understood that senior Association officials are currently meeting to discuss the FA’s proposal.
Before making any firm decision on the matter, the FAI is likely to seek some form of guidance from UEFA with whom it has previously liaised on other political issues of this type.
Meanwhile, the Scottish FA have publicly called for the election to be postponed, saying that “the events of the last two days, in particular, have made any election unworkable.”
“The Scottish FA can today confirm its position that the FIFA Presidential election be postponed in light of recent uncertainty,” said chief executive Stewart Regan.
“We believe the election should be rescheduled to facilitate a period of consultation to deal with the issues that have arisen in recent weeks.”
The integrity and reputation of the game across the world is paramount and the Scottish FA urges FIFA to reconsider its intentions, and calls on other member associations to consider the long-term implications for the game’s image.
Reports this morning indicated that the Irish Football Association (IFA) and the Football Association of Wales (FAW) are also considering their own positions on the matter.
