Having won virtually all battles in the past, suspended Thai football chief Worawi Makudi suffered a series of setbacks in the past week which could deliver a knockout blow to his administrative career in the sport.
Adm Surawut Maharom.
On Monday, Fifa’s Ethics Committee suspended him for 90 days from all football-related activities for a breach of its ethics code. It did not give details of the violation but said Worawi would face investigations.
The following day, after a meeting in Bangkok between a Fifa delegation and Thai officials, the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) election for a new president and executive board, scheduled for yesterday, was postponed as recommended by the visiting Fifa officials.
On Friday, Fifa’s Emergency Committee removed the FAT executive committee and appointed a 'normalisation' panel led by Adm Surawut Maharom with Thana Chaiprasit being deputy chairman.
The appointment of the normalisation committee proves Fifa knows something about Thai sports or is getting proper information from Thais.
Surawut, former chief of the Thai committee which selects athletes to take part in major international events, and National Olympic Committee of Thailand executive Thana, who has been Thailand’s chief of delegation in international tournaments, are both respected figures and seen as ‘neutral’ persons in the country’s sporting circles.
The Fifa-appointed panel's jobs include revision of the FAT electoral code and holding the election of a new president and executive committee of the local football administration by Feb 15.
The election code for yesterday’s cancelled polls was controversial as some critics considered it unfair and feared it would benefit a certain party.
There would be 72 eligible voters with half of which coming from 18 clubs in the 18-team Thai Premier League and 18 of the 20-team League One.
The rest of the voters were from selected clubs from the lower divisions and minor competitions.
The election rules might have something to do with the order by the Fifa Emergency Committee as they were approved by the FAT executive committee which was appointed by Worawi.
Worawi is not new to controversy and has faced several allegations and court cases.
Until this year, he virtually won on all fronts.
As a Fifa executive member, Worawi was able to clear his name of allegations such as he used Fifa funds to build the national football development centre on his own land and he asked for the TV rights of a match from England in exchange for his vote for that country to host the 2018 World Cup.
Worawi reportedly voted for Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup and the British media reported that his vote might have something to do with Thailand’s PTT securing a gas deal with a Qatari company.
However, the Thai state-owned energy firm insisted the deal had nothing to do with the World Cup vote as it was done on a government-to-government basis.
Worawi, who had been FAT president since 2007, beat Virach Chanpanit in a controversial election in 2013.
Virach brought the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) which ruled in favour of Worawi.
But Worawi has suffered several setbacks this year.
Earlier this year, Worawi lost the Asian Football Confederation election to be an AFC representative on Fifa’s executive committee, a position he had held for 18 years.
He then tried to make a return to international football by contesting the election for the new president of the Asean Football Federation (AFF).
But he withdrew his candidacy in the last minute citing that friendship was more important.
In July, a Thai court handed him a suspended jail term for forgery ahead of the 2013 election in a case filed by a supporter of Virach. Worawi is appealing the ruling.
Worawi, 63, is also appealing Fifa's suspension.
This is undoubtedly the toughest battle Worawi has ever faced in his decades-long career in football administration.
The scandal-hit Fifa is not only trying to clean its house but also everywhere in the world, punishing several persons and countries.
Powerful figures like Fifa president Sepp Blatter, general-secretary Jerome Vacke and Uefa boss Michel Platini all have been suspended while former Fifa vice-president Chung Mong-Joon has been banned for six years.
A South African official was punished in midweek for fixing friendly matches ahead of the 2010 World Cup in his country.
Closer to home, Indonesia is suspended from international football activities while Malaysia was sanctioned for crowd trouble during a recent World Cup qualifier.
Singapore's football association was forced to promise to amend its constitution next year after Fifa demanded an end to political interference.
Worawi was re-elected FAT president in 2013 thanks in part to Fifa's involvement but now he has to fight the organisation to save his career in the sport.
Worawi Makudi.