{"id":33947,"date":"2026-05-23T00:36:58","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T19:36:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.iq\/?p=33947"},"modified":"2026-05-23T00:36:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T19:36:58","slug":"iraqi-fa-elections-baghdad-clubs-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/iraqi-fa-elections-baghdad-clubs-support\/","title":{"rendered":"Baghdad clubs back capital candidates in Iraqi FA elections as Younis Mahmoud confirms presidential bid"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Baghdad clubs announced their support for candidates from the capital in the upcoming Iraqi FA elections, including Adnan Dirjal, emphasizing that the electoral process must be conducted in accordance with established legal frameworks. Meanwhile, Iraqi FA Vice President Younis Mahmoud confirmed he will continue his candidacy for the presidency of the federation. The statements reflect increasing momentum ahead of a key leadership vote for Iraqi football.<\/p>\n<h2>Baghdad clubs declare institutional support<\/h2>\n<p>In an official statement, Baghdad clubs reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening institutional sports governance and promoting transparency and independence in managing sporting affairs.<\/p>\n<p>The clubs said their position stems from responsibility toward developing Iraqi football and serving clubs and athletes nationwide.<\/p>\n<h3>Objectives behind the endorsement<\/h3>\n<p>The support aims to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Reinforce institutional sports governance<\/li>\n<li>Promote transparency and independence<\/li>\n<li>Advance Iraqi football development<\/li>\n<li>Represent Baghdad\u2019s sporting role<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Support for Adnan Dirjal and capital candidates<\/h2>\n<p>Baghdad clubs confirmed backing candidates from the capital, including Adnan Dirjal, noting that such support aligns with their vision of ensuring fair representation for Baghdad in the federation.<\/p>\n<p>They emphasized the need for a leadership capable of improving competition standards and organizational efficiency.<\/p>\n<h3>Vision for the next phase<\/h3>\n<p>The clubs seek:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A strong and professional federation<\/li>\n<li>Improved competition structure<\/li>\n<li>Administrative modernization<\/li>\n<li>Stronger regional and international presence<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Emphasis on legal frameworks<\/h2>\n<p>The statement stressed that the Iraqi FA elections must be managed according to approved regulations, ensuring independence of clubs and freedom of voting for members of the general assembly.<\/p>\n<p>The clubs also called for cooperation and positive competition among all stakeholders.<\/p>\n<h3>Core principles of the electoral process<\/h3>\n<p>These include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Respect for established regulations<\/li>\n<li>Protection of voting rights<\/li>\n<li>Fair and transparent procedures<\/li>\n<li>Institutional independence<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Call for unity in Iraqi sports<\/h2>\n<p>Baghdad clubs urged all sporting parties to work in a spirit of partnership to serve the future of Iraqi sports and enhance its domestic and international presence.<\/p>\n<p>The appeal signals a desire to avoid internal divisions within the football community.<\/p>\n<h3>Importance of cooperation<\/h3>\n<p>Unified efforts may help:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Stabilize federation governance<\/li>\n<li>Prevent internal disputes<\/li>\n<li>Support national teams<\/li>\n<li>Strengthen Iraqi football\u2019s global image<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Younis Mahmoud confirms continued candidacy<\/h2>\n<p>Separately, Iraqi FA Vice President Younis Mahmoud formally announced he will continue running for the presidency of the federation.<\/p>\n<p>In his statement, Mahmoud expressed confidence in building a better future for Iraqi football.<\/p>\n<h3>Motivation behind his candidacy<\/h3>\n<p>Mahmoud highlighted goals such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Developing Iraqi football infrastructure<\/li>\n<li>Enhancing administrative professionalism<\/li>\n<li>Strengthening team performance<\/li>\n<li>Meeting fan expectations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Vision for Iraqi football leadership<\/h2>\n<p>Mahmoud stated that the coming phase requires clear strategy, professional management, and collective effort to restore Iraqi football\u2019s regional and international stature.<\/p>\n<p>He emphasized that fans deserve renewed pride and success.<\/p>\n<h3>Key priorities under his proposal<\/h3>\n<p>These priorities include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Improving league organization<\/li>\n<li>Enhancing youth development programs<\/li>\n<li>Strengthening international participation<\/li>\n<li>Building transparent governance structures<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Message to the general assembly<\/h2>\n<p>Mahmoud addressed members of the general assembly, describing their trust as a responsibility and pledging to usher in a new era defined by achievement and ambition.<\/p>\n<h3>Role of the general assembly<\/h3>\n<p>The assembly is responsible for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Electing new leadership<\/li>\n<li>Supervising federation policies<\/li>\n<li>Ensuring accountability<\/li>\n<li>Supporting institutional reforms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Competitive atmosphere ahead of elections<\/h2>\n<p>The endorsements and candidacy confirmations highlight the growing electoral competition within Iraqi football governance.<\/p>\n<p>Several prominent figures are competing for leadership in what is seen as a pivotal moment for reform and modernization.<\/p>\n<h3>Significance of the upcoming elections<\/h3>\n<p>The elections are crucial for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Determining future administrative direction<\/li>\n<li>Reforming organizational structures<\/li>\n<li>Supporting national teams<\/li>\n<li>Strengthening Iraq\u2019s football reputation internationally<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Conclusion:<\/h2>\n<p>Baghdad clubs\u2019 endorsement of capital candidates and Younis Mahmoud\u2019s confirmation of his presidential bid underscore the heightened activity ahead of the Iraqi FA elections. With emphasis on legality, transparency, and institutional reform, the vote represents a defining opportunity to reshape Iraqi football administration and respond to public expectations for progress and stability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Baghdad clubs announced their support for candidates from the capital in the upcoming Iraqi FA elections, including Adnan Dirjal, emphasizing that the electoral process must be conducted in accordance with established legal frameworks. Meanwhile, Iraqi FA Vice President Younis Mahmoud confirmed he will continue his candidacy for the presidency of the federation. The statements reflect [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33948,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"subtitle":"","format":"standard","override":[{"template":"7","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"left-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"topbottom","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","show_post_reading_time":"0","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","post_calculate_word_method":"str_word_count","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"1","show_popup_post":"1","show_comment_section":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"1","show_post_related":"0","show_inline_post_related":"0"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","disable_ad":"0"},"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":{"view_counter_number":"0","share_counter_number":"0","like_counter_number":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"jnews_post_split":{"post_split":[{"template":"1","tag":"h2","numbering":"asc","mode":"normal","first":"0","enable_toc":"0","toc_type":"normal"}]},"footnotes":""},"categories":[83],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33947","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33947"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33947\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33950,"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33947\/revisions\/33950"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33948"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}