Joining flashpoint street protests were some of the Arab nations’ most famous footballers, coaches and athletes.
The Bahraini authorities, human rights groups say, responded brutally.
News agency The Associated Press (AP) reported that more than 150 athletes, coaches and referees were jailed after a special committee identified them from photos of the protests.
It is claimed some of those arrested — who included members of the national football team — were tortured.
AP reported that the committee was chaired by Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa — a member of Bahrain’s ruling royal family and then head of the Bahrain FA.
Today Sheikh Salman — who calls the allegations “nasty lies” — is the 8/15 odds-on favourite to win elections to replace Sepp Blatter as Fifa President on Friday.
Human rights campaigners have reacted furiously. Sayed Alwadaei, 29, from the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, told The Sun: “Fifa is putting a noose around its neck if it elects Salman to lead world football.
“What Fifa needs is accountability and an end to corruption, not a man accused of involvement in human rights abuses.”
Human Rights Watch’s Nicholas McGeehan, 39, said of Blatter’s likely replacement: “It’s out of the frying pan and into the fire for Fifa.”
The Fifa election, called an “anti-beauty parade” for its lack of quality candidates, has been criticised for its smears, allegations of horse-trading and lack of scrutiny.
Rival leadership contender Prince Ali bin al-Hussein accused Sheikh Salman of attempting “to engineer a block vote” by signing a pact between the Asian Football Confederation he leads and its counterpart in Africa.
Jordanian federation president Prince Ali asked Fifa’s election watchdog to investigate whether election rules were broken.
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Manchester United fan Sheikh Salman insisted the Asia-Africa pact was being worked on months before he decided to run, calling the Prince’s remarks “entirely inaccurate”.
Others have pointed to a farcical friendly match played between Bahrain — when Sheikh Salman was its FA President — and “Togo”.
The match in September 2010 — organised by convicted match fixer Wilson Raj Perumal — has become notorious because the Togo team that lined up in the National Stadium in Riffa were IMPOSTERS.
Bahrain won 3-0, with five goals ruled out for being offside. The Togo team were not fit enough to play for 90 minutes, according to Bahrain’s manager Josef Hickersberger. But in fact, the genuine Togo national side was on a bus back from a match in Botswana at the time.
Sheikh Salman said recently: “When somebody brings you the Togo national team you won’t know the team. Once it was reported we co-operated with Fifa officials to know exactly what happened.”
It is Sheikh Salman’s family connection to Bahrain’s ruling monarchy which continues to trouble English FA chairman Greg Dyke, 68.
He said this week: “There is an issue about Bahrain.
“No one denies there were violations of human rights involving sportsmen and footballers. The denial is over whether or not he was involved.
“Does it matter whether or not he was involved, or can you have someone from Bahrain in charge of world football, given what happened there? I personally have my doubts.”
Softly-spoken Sheikh Salman, 50, says he can guarantee “one million per cent” that no footballers or athletes were tortured after the demonstrations five years ago.
Among those arrested during the crackdown was striker and national team captain A’ala Hubail — nicknamed the Golden Boy — and his brother Mohamed.
A’ala, who was imprisoned for three months after the protests, said in 2011: “I won’t forget the experience which I went through.
“What happened to me was a cost of fame. Participating in the athletes’ rally was not a crime.”
His brother Mohamed claimed he was blindfolded, handcuffed and kicked and beaten with hoses relentlessly by the police.
Last year A’ala defended Sheikh Salman, saying: “I would never lie. I don’t think he did this.”
Last year the Sheikh’s lawyers said in a statement: “While it was proposed that Sheikh Salman lead a fact-finding committee in relation to the events of 2011, that committee was never formally established and never conducted any business whatsoever. Sheikh Salman had absolutely no involvement in the identification, investigation, prosecution or mistreatment of any individuals”.
Nicholas McGeehan, the Bahrain, Qatar and United Arab Emirates researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: “Sheikh Salman should have known what was going on.
“Thousands of people were rounded up. Five people were tortured to death in detention. People were shot dead in the street. These were not allegations — they are established fact. So why is he setting up a committee which would put his own footballers at risk of that sort of treatment?”
Asked why those allegedly tortured weren’t speaking publicly in the run-up to the election, he added: “Anyone who is in the country and comes out and criticises Salman, who is a member of the royal family, would put themselves at extreme risk.”
Next week’s election among Fifa’s 209 members comes with the Switzerland-based organisation still embroiled in a vast criminal investigation.
Last year US Attorney General Loretta Lynch alleged corruption at Fifa to be “rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted”.
She added: “It spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks.”
Salman says, if elected, he will not take a salary, leaving Fifa’s day-to-day running to paid executives.
In 2014 he backed desert nation Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup at any time of the year including its 40C harsh summer.
“I don’t think there is any controversy,” the Bahraini said.
But last year, as head of Fifa’s task force looking into possible dates, he said it would be held in November and December after an outcry over health risks in summer temperatures. He also says outgoing President Blatter has “done many good things”, adding: “We have to carry on the good work.”
Tory MP Damian Collins — a leading light in the NewFifaNow campaign — said last night that if Sheikh Salman is elected it would “herald the end of Fifa”.
The member of the Parliamentary Culture, Media and Sport Committee added: “He’s the continuity Blatter candidate. The old regime are supporting him. They probably think he’s the one they can trust to protect them and make sure that any reform won’t change the old way of doing things.
“Football fans feel totally powerless. You spend money to watch TV games and to watch your club and you want the best for the game.
“Yet your voice is totally ignored in the decision about who is the person to lead the governing body of the world’s most popular sport.”
Rivals for the job
JEROME CHAMPAGNE, 57, from France, is a former diplomat who has held senior positions in Fifa. Backed by leading ex players including Pele and Marco van Basten.
William Hill odds to win presidency: 66/1
GIANNI INFANTINO, 45, from Switzerland, became Uefa’s general secretary in October 2009 and right-hand man to Uefa president Michel Platini, who in December was banned for eight years by Fifa’s ethics committee. Infantino wants to increase the 32-team World Cup to 40 teams. 6/4
PRINCE ALI BIN AL HUSSEIN, 40, is the third son of the late King Hussein of Jordan. Stood against Sepp Blatter in the Fifa election in May but, despite backing from Europe, was beaten by 133-73 votes in the first round. He successfully campaigned to lift the ban on female Islamic players wearing headscarves in competitions. 8-1
TOKYO SEXWALE, 62, of South Africa, is a former member of the anti-apartheid African National Congress armed resistance. Once sentenced to 18 years on terrorism offences and sent to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was also incarcerated. Hosted the South African version of the reality TV programme The Apprentice. 66-1
