German FA president not for Scheich Salman
February 17, 2016
In an interview with Thursday's edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), interim German FA (DFB) president Reinhard Rauball said that he will not vote for Bahraini candidate Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa in next week's FIFA presidential election.
"In terms of football, he makes a good impression. But given the human rights issue and the persistent doubts we will not vote for him," Rauball told the FAZ.
Sheikh Salman, a member of Bahrain's royal family, has been accused by human rights associations of violently suppressing demonstrations during the Arab Spring, as well as torturing athletes. Salman has denied these accusations.
Rauball has decided to support UEFA candidate Gianni Infantino. "It would be unjust just for him to get rejected, as Michel Platini was his boss in recent years," said Rauball.
kd/apc (SID)