FIFA contender Salman furious at 'nasty lies'

Asian football chief and FIFA presidential contender Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim al Khalifa on Tuesday hit out at “nasty lies” which he said were damaging his campaign.

Bahrain human rights groups have accused Shaikh Salman of involvement in the arrest and torture of footballers when he was head of the Bahrain Football Association.

“These are false, nasty lies that have been repeated again and again in the past and the present,” the Asian Football Confederation president told the BBC in an interview.

“I cannot deny something that I haven’t done,” the 49-year-old added.

“Such accusations are not just damaging, it’s really hurting. Some people have agenda on their table.”

Shaikh Salman was head of the Bahrain FA in 2011 when scores of people were killed as security forces in the country put down mass Shia-led protests calling for reforms.

Rights groups say he helped identify players involved in the protests and did nothing to protect them from abuses.

“It’s not just damaging me, it’s damaging the people and the country,” Shaikh Salman added.