El Salvador suspends football committee that sparked clash with FIFA

SAN SALVADOR: El Salvador's national sports institute, INDES, on Saturday (Jul 23) suspended a government-backed committee that temporarily supplanted the national football federation, FESFUT, in a bid to stave off a clash with the sport's global governing body, FIFA.

FIFA had said if the committee appointed by INDES was not withdrawn by Monday, the case would be submitted to the FIFA Council for a ruling that could include suspending FESFUT, which would then lose its rights as a member organization.

Last week, seven directors of the FESFUT executive committee were suspended from their duties by a disciplinary court tied to INDES. The institute then created a "normalising committee" to temporarily take on FESFUT's duties.

But with FIFA's deadline looming, an INDES steering committee suspended the normalizing committee at the request of a group of players, referees and team representatives who want a special congress to be held to elect new football authorities.