Mohamed bin Hammam's watchword is "future", but the coming days look uncertain for the Qatari, whose bid to lead world football left him barred from the sport and fighting bribery claims.
He departed the Fifa congress in Zurich on Wednesday not as president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) or even as a beaten candidate, but battered and bruised by vote-buying allegations that threaten his nine-year hold on Asian football.
Bin Hammam, 62, is facing calls for "revolution" from his stand-in as AFC president, Zhang Jilong, who appears to have grand plans for the job.
"I am very sad and disappointed over what has happened in the last days," bin Hammam said.
"I will never accept how my name and my reputation have been damaged. I will fight for my rights … Good days bring you happiness, bad days bring you experience."
It was a quick demise for bin Hammam, whose modernising success at the AFC emboldened him to challenge formidable Fifa leader Sepp Blatter.
But he was broadsided by bribery allegations - which he strongly denies - and then pulled out of the election race just hours before Fifa's ethics committee suspended him from football altogether pending an investigation.
Bin Hammam's last act in Zurich was to protest at not being able to appeal against his ban, which leaves China's Zhang in charge of the AFC. If bin Hammam cannot clear his name, Zhang will remain in the post for the medium term.
"The Asian football environment is not that healthy," Zhang said this week, making clear his wish for sweeping changes. "We need, let's say, revolution. We need reform."
Fifa has taken an unprecedented pounding from months of corruption scandals. Bin Hammam had campaigned as the candidate of change, but his ouster led to Blatter's unopposed re-election late on Wednesday, by 186 votes out of 203. Most Asia associations were conspicuously silent. Australia, however, urged Blatter to lead reform.
"He has said that he will take on reforming the organisation and he now must do that," said Mark Arbib, the Australian sports minister."
Frank van Hattum, the New Zealand Football chairman, was among the large group backing Blatter. He said much of the criticism stemmed from "innuendo and the odd unsavoury incident. They have heard the message loud and clear, and the humility that came through today said 'Yes, we have made some mistakes and we need to fix this'," he told Radio Sport in New Zealand. "In such a large and complex organisation no one can give a 100 per cent guarantee that everyone is clean 100 per cent of the time."
Bin Hammam, the former head of Qatar's successful Al Rayyan club, assumed the Asian presidency in 2002 and is credited with introducing an improved continental club tournament, the AFC Champions League.
He also oversaw Australia's entry into the regional bloc and three Asian Cups, including the 2007 edition held in four countries and this year's competition in his home country of Qatar.
In 2009, he successfully faced down a challenge for his Fifa executive committee seat, showing the street-fighting qualities he will now need in abundance.
