FIFA: "The thought of being a candidate had not crossed my mind" (Sheikh Salman, AFC president)

"I have noted recent media speculation that my name has been suggested by others but, while I would like to thank them for their trust and confidence in my leadership, the thought of being a candidate in 2016 had not crossed my mind," wrote Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa (BHR), president of the AFC and a FIFA vice-president, in a statement on the Asian confederation's website on 02/10/2015.

Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, commonly known as Sheikh Salman, had announced his personal support of the candidacy of Michel Platini for FIFA president on 14/08/2015. Several Asian media sources had claimed that the Asian leader planned to become a candidate himself, following the opening of criminal proceedings by the Swiss Justice against Joseph Blatter, FIFA president, on 25/09/2015, under suspicion of having made "a disloyal payment of 2m Swiss Francs (€1.54m at the time of the payment) to Michel Platini, UEFA president, at the expense of FIFA, which was allegedly made for work performed between January 1999 and June 2002."

Michel Platini reiterated, on 29/09/2015, his desire to be a candidate…