Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa

Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa سلمان بن ابراهيم آل خليفة
Al-Khalifa in a press conference in Tehran
Senior Vice President of FIFA
Incumbent
Assumed office 8 April 2018
Preceded by	David Chung
President of AFC
Incumbent
Assumed office 2 May 2013
Preceded by	Zhang Jilong
President of Bahrain Football Association
In office 2 October 2002 – 1 May 2013
Preceded by	Abdulrahman Sayyar
Succeeded by	Sheikh Ali Bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa
Personal details
Born	Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa (1965-11-02) 2 November 1965 Riffa, Bahrain
Nationality	Bahraini
Spouse(s)	Sheikha Nada (m. 1993)
Children	3
Relatives	Ibraheem Al-Khalifa (Father)
Alma mater	University of Bahrain
Occupation	Football administrator

Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa (Arabic: سلمان بن ابراهيم آل خليفة‎; born 2 November 1965) is the President of the Asian Football Confederation since 2 May 2013. Before his election as the president of AFC, he was president of Bahrain Football Association^[1] and also Chairman of the Asian Football Confederation Disciplinary Committee, and Deputy Chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.^[2] He is a member of the FIFA Council and chairman of the FIFA Development Committee.

Biography

Sheikh Salman is a member of the House of Khalifa, the Royal Family of Bahrain. He is the second son of Sheikh Ibrahim bin Hamad al-Khalifa and Sheikha Aisha bint Salman al-Khalifa, daughter of Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa I, former ruler of Bahrain from 1942 until his death in 1961.

He graduated from the University of Bahrain in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in English Literature and History. Shaikh Salman has been involved in football for many years, dating back to the early 1980s when he played a few years in the system of the youth team of Bahrain Division I team, Riffa Club.^[3][4]

Since leaving Riffa Club to focus on his academic studies, Sheikh Salman has held executive positions at the BFA. In 1996, he became chairman of the national team. In 1998, he was elected vice-president of the BFA, and president in 2002. His tenures also include co-chairman of the disciplinary Committee of the FIFA World Cups, the FIFA Beach Tournaments, the FIFA Club Championships, etc. He was also deputy chairman of the FIFA disciplinary committee at Beijing in 2008.^[4]

Sheikh Salman was president of the Bahrain Football Association at time of the "golden era" of Bahraini football. The national team was a match away from qualifying to the 2006 FIFA World Cup and 2010 FIFA World Cup. The team also managed to reach the 2004 Asian Cup semi final, the furthest the national team has ever reached in the continental championship. The national team FIFA ranking also reached its highest in the history of Bahraini Football, as it moved up to the 44th position.^[4]

In May 2013, Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa was elected president of the Asian Football Confederation amidst criticism from human rights organizations.^[5]

On 15 October 2015, Sheikh Salman announced his candidature to become the next president of FIFA after the election of February 2016. In January 2016, Prince Ali bin Hussein, his opponent for the presidency, accused Salman of using the AFC to form an alliance with its African counterpart and influence the outcome of the election.^[6] In February 2016, the British Conservative member of parliament Damian Collins, hostile to Salman's candidature, accused him of using money from development project funds (Fifa GOAL programmes) to finance his campaign for a seat at the FIFA executive committee in 2009. Damian Collins based his claim on a tip from an anynomous whistleblower that made the press in 2009, and argued that the Bahrain FA never denied it. Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa denied Damian Collins' allegations. He argued that all GOAL funds are closely audited and that he funded the 2009 campaign with his personal money.^[7]

He was defeated by UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino.^[8]

Personal life

Sheikh Salman has three children, two daughters Sheikha Latifa born in 1994 and Sheikha Aysha born in 1998, and a son Sheikh Isa born in 2001.^[9]

References