October 19 – FIFA has removed the entire executive committee of Thailand’s football association (FAT) after its controversial president Worawi Makudi was suspended pending a full ethics investigation.
Makudi, a former FIFA executive committee member for 18 years, had been widely tipped to retain his highly contentious position and had even hinted he would defy the 90-day ban slapped on him for an alleged breach of ethics rules in what would have been a flagrant violation.
Instead, the Thai FA (FAT) called off last Saturday’s ballot but has now been disbanded by FIFA which has put in place a “normalisation committee” to oversee the election of a new executive committee by February 16 “at the latest”.
Makudi, FAT president since 2007, had been due to stand against former national team manager Vanasthana Sajakul and regional police chief Pisan Jundilok.
He has faced multiple allegations of wrongdoing in recent years and in July was given a suspended 16-month jail term after being found to have falsified documents during the 2013 ballot that saw him re-elected the last time – a ruling he denies and is appealing against.
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