FIFA presidential candidate Shaikh Salman received an endorsement Friday from his executive committee colleagues at the Asian soccer confederation. Three of the five FIFA candidates claim support from Asian voters, but the AFC said its 24-member executive committee unanimously backed Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa, a member of the Bahraini royal family. "The members of the AFC executive committee passed a resolution urging all member associations to unite behind and support the AFC President Shaikh Salman in his efforts to be elected as the first FIFA president from Asia," the continental soccer body said. Asia has 46 of the 209 voting federations in the FIFA election to succeed Sepp Blatter on Feb. 26. "It is a big support for my campaign, as well as an honor for me, to have the endorsement and full backing of the AFC executive committee," Salman said in the AFC statement. "It also sends a strong message that Asia is behind one candidate." However, Asia's soccer leader currently does not have the continent's full support. Rival candidate Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan is supported by his home country and other Asian voters. Jerome Champagne of France claims support from the Palestinian federation, which he has advised in recent years and has a delegate on the AFC executive committee. The other candidates are South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale and UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino, who has worked closely in recent months with Salman and FIFA powerbroker Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah of Kuwait. Infantino got further encouragement late Thursday with support from the 10-nation South American confederation. FIFA election monitor Domenico Scala said this month that bloc voting was allowed but he would investigate any "undue pressure" put on individual voters. Confederations must also declare if they give money to pay a candidate's election costs, Scala said. Havelange hospitalized Former FIFA president Joao Havelange is being treated in a Rio de Janeiro hospital for respiratory problems. The 99-year old Brazilian, who handed over the FIFA presidency in 1998 to Sepp Blatter, was hospitalized a year ago for a similar problem. Hospital Samaritano says in a statement that Havelange "is progressing positively to treatment, and his vital signs are stable." Del Nero quits The Brazilian Football Confederation says its president Marco Polo del Nero has stepped down from FIFA's executive committee and will be replaced by Fernando Sarney. Del Nero, who will remain as head of the CBF, had missed recent FIFA meetings in Switzerland. He was not indicted in the FIFA scandal that began snaring top football officials six months ago. But he could be arrested if he travels outside Brazil. — Agencies
