Zhang sees no quick-fix for corruption
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Shanghai Daily, June 17, 2011
Although corruption and match-fixing are ripping Asian soccer apart, the continent's temporary football head has said the governing body has no plans to step in and help solve the problems.
Zhang Jilong started work at Asian Football Confederation House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this week as temporary chief after the suspension of Mohamed bin Hammam following allegations he bribed officials to vote for him ahead of the FIFA presidential election.
As bin Hammam, who has denied any wrongdoing, prepares his defense for a full inquiry, which is likely to be heard next month, China, South Korea and Malaysia are battling match-fixing scandals in their domestic competitions.
Indonesia also has problems as it continues to flirt with a FIFA ban after missing deadlines to elect a new chairman as requested by the world governing body.
Zhang, who said he had not spoken to Qatari bin Hammam since the allegations broke last month, described the problems in Asian soccer as "not healthy".
However, he said he hoped the individual associations of the countries affected could solve their own problems.
"Corruption has really harmed a lot the development of the nations and Asian football," Zhang said yesterday from his temporary office in the next room along from bin Hammam's.
"We are very, very unfortunate that the thing (corruption) happened in China, in Chinese football.
"I think right now the government's issue is to follow with the Chinese Football Association to solve this problem, to give a clean situation to Chinese football.
"Same thing happened in Korean football, we hope Korean football can also manage to solve their problem... the corruption is really damaging, it is really criminal for the development of football."
Zhang, an AFC vice president who lost a vote to win a seat on FIFA's powerful executive committee in January, acknowledged the AFC should do something to help the embattled associations but said it was not possible at this time.
"Not now, at the moment, no. We cannot," he said.
Zhang, 59, who declined to answer questions about bin Hammam, did not know how long he would be in his temporary role but said he planned to keep things ticking over rather than making any drastic changes despite the apparent need.
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