On Thursday, 84-year-old Saburo Kawabuchi, the former head of Japanese football’s governing body, gave interviews and said he spoke to 83-year-old Mori and is likely to be his successor.
That news – that another older man was taking over – exploded on national television and social media on Friday morning. A few hours later, Kawabuchi withdrew his candidacy at the board meeting and asked Muto to make it public.
“He (Kawabuchi) has no idea of becoming president even when asked if he will decline,” said Muto.
Mori’s departure comes after more than a week of uninterrupted criticism of his remarks earlier this month. He initially apologized but refused to step down, followed by relentless pressure from television commentators, sponsors, and an online petition with 150,000 signatures.
“Starting today, I will be stepping down from the position of president,” Mori said to open a board meeting and a council meeting.
Mori was appointed in 2014 just months after Tokyo was selected to host the Olympic Games.
“My inappropriate comments have caused a lot of chaos,” he said, repeating several times that he had regretted the comments, but also said that he “had no intention of neglecting women”.
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