New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS) UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF launched an unprecedented attack on FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Monday, accusing him of breaking trust through “deception” and placing himself above the collective after his controversial proposal to sell a stake in the commercial rights to the World Cup.
In an open letter to the football community, the three confederations didn’t explicitly call for Infantino to resign. However, they demanded an independent investigation into the events surrounding the now-abandoned proposal.
“Football’s strength has always been its unity,” the confederations said in their letter. “We call for that unity to be honoured now, for leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it.”
The Swiss administrator has faced increasing opposition in the football world since proposing a plan to sell off 20% of the World Cup’s commercial rights to private investors. This scheme aimed to raise around $4.2 billion.
UEFA, supported by the AFC and CONCACAF, has threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments unless it gets assurances that similar proposals regarding commercial rights will not be made in the future.
“Leadership in football is not a possession,” the three confederations said. “It is not about holding – or demanding – power to be held. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it.”
“When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned,” they added.
The confederations also criticised an emergency FIFA meeting held in Morocco last week, arguing that only one elected official was present. They called for a fully independent review, with no involvement from FIFA, to establish what led to what they described as a “profound failure of judgement.”
The confederations also criticized an emergency FIFA meeting held in Morocco last week, arguing that only one elected official attended. They called for a completely independent review, with no FIFA involvement, to find out what led to what they called a “profound failure of judgment.”
This latest confrontation comes amid an escalating leadership crisis for Infantino, with some national associations and football officials openly questioning his position before the FIFA presidential election.
Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian Football Federation, who has long criticized Infantino and is considered by some to be a possible challenger, urged the 56-year-old to resign immediately on Friday.
However, Infantino continues to receive support from several FIFA member associations and confederations. After Wednesday’s emergency meeting, FIFA apologized to its 211 member associations, while Infantino sought to strengthen support within the six continental confederations that make up world football’s governing body.
The African confederation, CAF, issued a statement on behalf of its 54 members supporting Infantino on Thursday. Mexico, along with South American nations Argentina, Paraguay, Ecuador, and Bolivia, also publicly backed the FIFA president.
The divisions sharpened on Friday when FIFA responded strongly to Infantino’s critics after he attended the inauguration of Colombia’s new president, Abelardo De La Espriella, in Cali.
FIFA warned against what it labeled a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine Infantino. It stated that any challenge to his leadership must follow the organization’s rules and democratic procedures. FIFA echoed statements from various bodies supporting Infantino, including the South American confederation, CONMEBOL.
The governing body’s statement came after The Daily Telegraph reported on payments made by UEFA to a former employee during Infantino’s tenure as UEFA general secretary. Infantino has denied the allegations, and FIFA has dismissed them as baseless.
The political struggle has already impacted Infantino’s support base. Almost 70 of FIFA’s 211 member associations have publicly stated they will vote for him. However, about a dozen have either withdrawn previously promised support or said they will not vote for him.
Despite the dissent among parts of European football, the confederations opposing Infantino do not form a united front across their entire regions. Several Asian nations still back the FIFA president, while Mexico has also remained supportive, despite CONCACAF’s broader stance.
–IANS
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