Worawi holds the key to the Thai FA problem

The decision to call off the meeting plunged Thai football into, arguably, the most severe crisis it has ever experienced following the intervention by Fifa, which threatened to suspend the association for the events.

The incident was more or less similar to what happened two years ago when Worawi also had to abruptly call off the meeting. This time he was forced to do so after Thai club Pattaya FC successfully secured a court injunction that prevented him from holding a vote to seek approval for the FAT’s revised rules.

The cancellation of the meeting left Thai football in limbo as Worawi, whose third consecutive two-year mandate expired last Sunday, repeatedly stated the impending presidential election must be held in accordance with the FAT’s amended rules.

With those regulations yet to get approval, it meant a vote for a new president could not take place. That prompted Worawi, also a member of Fifa’s powerful executive committee, to seek the sport’s governing body intervention to sort out the situation. Fifa deemed the Pattaya’s court move as a breach of its rules and demanded the fourth-tier club to withdraw the suit against the FAT by tomorrow otherwise they would suspend the Thai FA’s membership.

It was not that easy to end the impasse as Pattaya officials publicly reiterated that they would not budge on their stance on the issue despite facing pressure in the form of death threats via phone and messages. Pattaya believed they just acted in the best interests of the club, which they were entitled to do so legally, as they feared the amendment to the regulations might result in the number of members ineligible to vote in the impending election.

As things stood, it left the Thai FA at risk of being suspended which the world soccer governing body said would prevent them from having international contact as well as participation in activities and competitions organised by Fifa and Asian Football Confederation for an indefinite period.

Many pundits still do not believe that Fifa would suspend the country immediately given the case involving Indonesia in which the governing body has long deferred a decision to suspend the Indonesian FA for having two rival domestic leagues. However, if Thailand do get suspended, the impact will be bigger than anyone thinks.

Worawi has already suggested that the country might be unable to host the forthcoming exhibition matches featuring Europe’s four famous clubs, including English and Spanish League champions Manchester United and Barcelona, respectively, as a result of the Fifa suspension.

But the first to suffer the direct impact is Thai Premier League outfit Buriram United, who became the country’s first club to reach the AFC Champions League quarter-finals since BEC Tero Sasana made it through to the final in 2003. They have been drawn against Iranian giants Esteghlal in the last eight of the continent’s elite club competition, with the first leg due to take place in Tehran in August.  

Ironically, the one who would be the least affected is Worawi. The Thai FA boss himself confirmed at a conference last week that the suspension doesn’t affect his position in Fifa even if all the troubles came from his attempt to push through the revised rules, which many believed would give him an advantage in his bid to get re-elected.

It might seem difficult for those involved to reach a solution to the problem but they could easily sort it out if only Worawi made it straightforward with the contentious issues concerning the number and selection methods of members eligible to vote. But, the big question is whether he is willing to do so.