GENEVA (AP) -- Two-time World Cup coach Takeshi Okada has resigned as vice president of Japan's soccer federation in protest over the politics surrounding FIFA during Gianni Infantino's campaign for re-election.
Japan's soccer body on Wednesday published Okada's resignation statement, dated last Saturday, one day after the Asian Football Confederation reversed course and publicly backed Infantino, who is seeking a fourth and final term as FIFA president in an election in March.
Infantino has faced a backlash since July over a failed plan involving World Cup commercial rights and over his broader management style, including his ties to US President Donald Trump. The controversy has drawn criticism from soccer leaders in Europe, North America and, initially, Asia.
Okada, 70, who coached Japan at the 1998 and 2010 World Cups, wrote that he believed "sports should embody integrity."
"However, the series of actions surrounding this year's FIFA World Cup represent a significant divergence from my personal convictions," Okada said. "As a sportsman, I cannot accept this."
Okada acknowledged the complexity of Japan's position within the politics of FIFA and Asian soccer, adding that he understood "there are practical reasons for aligning with the AFC's stance."
Japan wants to host the men's World Cup before 2050, federation president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto said at an October 2023 online AFC meeting that endorsed Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2034 tournament.
AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa had joined fellow FIFA vice presidents Aleksander Ceferin of UEFA and Victor Montagliani of CONCACAF in August in criticizing Infantino for "deception" and a "fundamental breach of trust" over his push to sell a permanent stake in World Cup profits.
Infantino had lined up a $4.2 billion deal with private investors led by Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of Jared Kushner, who is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka.
Infantino, however, retained support from 2022 World Cup host Qatar and appeared to regain trust from 2034 host Saudi Arabia, which had withheld public backing before hosting him in Jeddah this month.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar are major power brokers in Asian soccer, and Sheikh Salman surprised many observers last Friday by announcing at an AFC assembly in Tokyo that the confederation would support Infantino.
The AFC has 46 of FIFA's 211 member federations, all of which are eligible to vote in the March 18 election in Rabat, Morocco.
FIFA's 211 member associations effectively own the Switzerland-based nonprofit organization and have been promised $25 million each by Infantino for development projects and operating costs over the next four years.
European soccer's governing body UEFA has committed to finding a candidate to challenge Infantino before FIFA's Nov. 18 deadline to enter the race.
Fallout from the AFC meetings in Tokyo continued this week.
Former FIFA vice president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan wrote on social media that the final AFC meeting Friday was "pure politics at the behest of Gianni Infantino."
Prince Ali, who was one of four candidates who ran against Infantino in the 2016 FIFA election, said Asia was not united behind the incumbent president and added: "No amount of coercion, threats or bribes should be allowed."
The AFC called the accusations "unsubstantiated" and rejected Prince Ali's claim that no member had been allowed to speak.
"Such serious accusations must be supported by credible evidence," the AFC said, adding that Prince Ali's comments had been referred to its judicial bodies for possible disciplinary action.
