Nymburk, Central Bohemia, Dec 12 (CTK) – The Czech Football Association (FACR) elected Martin Malik its new chairman on Tuesday, half a year after the previous head Miroslav Pelta resigned from the post after the police arrested him over suspected corruption related to the distribution of sport subsidies.
Malik clearly defeated his rival Petr Fousek, winning 120 out of 128 votes in Bohemia, the western part of the country, and 55 out of 74 votes in Moravia, the eastern part.
Malik, 47, was the director of the STES, which is the association’s marketing firm. He joined the STES in 2013. Previously, he was the trade and marketing director of the Warner Bros Entertainment music company and marketing manager of the Slavia Praha football club.
Zdenek Zlamal was re-elected to the post of the association’s first deputy chairman for Moravia, and Roman Berbr was re-elected deputy chairman for Bohemia.
In the first attempt to find a replacement for Pelta in June, no candidate won a majority and the situation reached a deadlock.
Representatives of the FIFA and UEFA, the world and European football associations, told the FACR meeting on Tuesday that a commission needed to be set up to change the FACR rules in such a way to prevent the recent deadlock from repeating.
Malik said Pelta helped him to win the election so clearly by a speech made in his support before the vote on Tuesday.
“Martin Malik is the name. He can do business and knows us well,” Pelta said.
Pelta also dismissed the accusation of corruption. “They arrested me because I lobbied for football at the cost of other sports,” he said.
Pelta criticised Czech Olympic Committee head Jiri Kejval and former minister in charge of sport, Katerina Valachova. He also said the Czech Football Association would not have survived when the payment of state subsidies for football temporarily stopped earlier this year if it were not for the strong personality of Berbr who dealt with the situation.
