Iraq reinstated by FIFA

March 19 – FIFA today lifted its suspension on the Iraqi Football Association (IFA) following a compromise agreement over alleged Government interference.

Iraq, the 2007 Asian Cup winners, were banned last November for the second time in 18 months after the country’s Olympic committee disbanded IFA and Government security forces seized control of the headquarters.

FIFA had called for the members of the IFA executive committee to be reinstated.

But FIFA said today that the Iraqi national Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had helped restore the IFA’s ”full authority”.

The decision to lift the suspension was taken “after noting that the National Olympic Committee of Iraq (NOCI) had withdrawn the dissolution of the IFA and that the IFA had had its full authority restored,” a FIFA statement said.

Iraqi soccer officials must present FIFA with new statutes by May 31 and hold a general assembly two months later.

”Iraq is fully back as a member of FIFA,” said President Sepp Blatter.

”In the meantime we had a lot of positive interventions of countries in Europe.

“Italy and France, they wanted to help Iraqi football back in.”

The country and its teams will now be allowed to compete again in international tournaments.

Related stories
January 2010: Iraqi clubs banned from Asian Cup
November 2009: Iraq vows to fight FIFA suspension
November 2009: Iraq FA disbanded over allegations of financial problems