Kozo Tashima, currently serving as the honorary president of the Japan Football Association, brings decades of experience spanning his time as a national team player, coach, and member of the FIFA Council. He aims to bring Japanese standards of sporting integrity to the global governing body while testing its ability to cleanse itself of excessive commercial influence. His decision to run follows several controversies, including FIFA lifting a ban on American player Folarin Balogun after an intervention by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Key points
The upcoming March election will ensure that incumbent leader Gianni Infantino faces an a…: The upcoming March election will ensure that incumbent leader Gianni Infantino faces an active challenger for the presidency.
Tashima has voiced specific concerns regarding political interference, including travel r…: Tashima has voiced specific concerns regarding political interference, including travel restrictions placed on Iran's national team.
The candidacy is designed to test FIFA's internal commitment to governance and sporting i…: The candidacy is designed to test FIFA's internal commitment to governance and sporting integrity rather than just pursuing victory.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Tashima has served as a football player, coach and bureaucrat and has a reputation for being a safe pair of hands.
Kozo Tashima first started playing football after watching the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and since then he has dedicated his life to developing the sport’s growth in Japan.
The 68-year-old is set to become the first person from Japan to run for the FIFA presidency after announcing he would stand against Gianni Infantino in football’s governing body’s election in March.
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Tashima has served as a football player, coach and bureaucrat and has a reputation for being a safe pair of hands.
He rarely makes headlines, and one of the few times he appeared outside the sport pages was when he became one of the first public figures in Japan to contract coronavirus in March 2020.
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