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The story
On the 10th, the BBC reported that Arsène Wenger, who managed Arsenal and other clubs, is considering running for the FIFA presidency. Senior figures in European football are said to have been hoping Wenger would enter the race for weeks, and his name has emerged as a potential challenger to incumbent president Gianni Infantino. On 5ch, discussion centered on concerns about his age — he’s 77 — comparisons with Japan Football Association chairman Kozo Tashima (68), who has also been rumored to be considering a run, and speculation that anti-Infantino votes could simply split and hand the incumbent an easy re-election.
Wenger Said to Be Weighing FIFA Presidency Run… Emerges as Potential Challenger to Infantino
Arsène Wenger, who has managerial experience including his time at Arsenal, appears to be considering running in the FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) presidential election. British outlet the BBC reported the news on the 10th.
According to the outlet, senior figures in European football had reportedly been hoping for weeks that Wenger would run in the election.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
If that's the case, 68-year-old Tashima's no good either — just let 56-year-old Infantino keep doing it.
Look closer — the guy's got a full head of hair.
He's going to win in a landslide anyway, so there's no point worrying.
Wow, what a typo… (it's just Kansai dialect, lol)
That's really how it should be.
Voting for Tashima is basically the same as casting an invalid ballot — it's as good as endorsing Infantino.
If I were head of the JA (the farmers' co-op, not the JFA), I'd vote for Tashima.
Why's the farmers' co-op coming into this lol
Go plow a rice field or something lol (pun on Tashima's name containing the character for 'rice field')
Could actually be more of a spoiler aimed at Tashima
The anti-Infantino vote splits and he gets handed re-election on a silver platter
Wenger probably can't grab anything but European votes
Tashima's got connections across East and Southeast Asia though
Is he gonna be okay
Dude's pretty old
Wenger used to manage Nagoya (Grampus) and was such a Japan-lover that during his Arsenal days he'd even extend press conferences whenever Japanese reporters had questions
Figo's a Japan connoisseur who once ran a Japanese restaurant
Though honestly, being pro-Japan or Japan-savvy probably doesn't matter much for the FIFA presidency
is rising up
for one reason and one reason only
to stop Infantino
don't climb to the top on talk alone lol (typo of Wenger)
Nah, 68 and 77 are pretty different lol
Guess the rumor that Tashima already lined up support in Europe was fake after all
Background and Key Points of This Topic
The FIFA presidency is decided by a vote among member associations, and incumbent president Gianni Infantino has repeatedly won re-election in a climate where credible challengers rarely emerge. Wenger, the former Arsenal manager, is also known as a Japan enthusiast, while Japan Football Association chairman Kozo Tashima (68) is another figure whose candidacy has been rumored. Opinions in the thread split between the theory that the anti-Infantino vote will simply fracture and hand the incumbent an easy win, and unease over Wenger’s age at 77. There’s also a view that while European votes are solidly behind Wenger, Asian votes would flow to Tashima — making this less a straightforward popularity contest and more a regional tug-of-war, a nuance that isn’t obvious from the main article alone.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisports Sokuhou+) thread “[Soccer] Wenger Said to Be Weighing FIFA Presidency Run… Emerges as Potential Challenger to Infantino.”
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