Uefa maintains stance on Fifa president despite management board’s backing
Uefa’s position on Infantino
The European football governing body, Uefa, has stated that Fifa‘s defense of its president, Gianni Infantino, does not alter its position. Uefa had previously indicated a potential boycott of competitions, including the World Cup, if certain conditions were not met. These conditions included the withdrawal of proposals to sell off major competitions and assurances that such attempts to alter the game would not be made again. Uefa maintains that these conditions have not been fulfilled.
The English FA has formally withdrawn its support for Infantino. Uefa had previously expressed a loss of confidence in Infantino‘s presidency, referring to the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal as a “shabby, back room, opaque deal.” Infantino had offered associations $40m if they supported a private investment proposal for tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, through the FFE subsidiary.
Fifa acknowledged during a meeting that “mistakes” regarding FFE were “acknowledged,” stating it was “not the intention” for the Fifa Council and member associations to “feel excluded from the process and that the process should have been handled differently.” However, Uefa‘s response indicated that the announcement of support for Infantino from some Fifa employees “changes nothing.”
Reactions and ongoing concerns
The world players’ union, FIFPRO, has condemned what it termed “abuse of presidential power” by Gianni Infantino and called for changes within Fifa following the abandoned plans to sell stakes in the World Cup. FIFPRO noted Fifa‘s statement “with deep concern” and criticized the governing body for enabling the plans to be developed. The union also demanded “legally-binding engagement” with professional football stakeholders on issues such as the international match calendar and the expansion of Fifa competitions, as well as voting rights on the Fifa Council. They also requested governance and structural reforms to prevent any individual from driving unilateral decisions in the future.
FIFPRO further addressed threats issued by Fifa concerning future “attacks on its integrity,” stating that any attempt to portray legitimate scrutiny as disloyalty would only deepen concerns. The Football Association also formally announced its intention to withdraw support for Infantino‘s re-election as president.
Uefa was the first continental body to speak out against Infantino‘s plans and the only one to threaten a total boycott of Fifa competitions. Following the withdrawal of the plans, Uefa stated that there had been insufficient change to reverse its stance, with Infantino remaining in his position. The first test of Uefa‘s stance is anticipated with the Fifa Women’s U20s World Cup, which will feature six European countries, including England.
Infantino received the “full support” of Fifa‘s management board in a statement, despite having to abandon his plan to sell stakes in a company to manage the World Cup to private investors. This backing included secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, who had previously described the World Cup plans as “a sad and reproachable series of events.” The two were later seen together at a Women’s Africa Cup of Nations match.
Infantino and Grafstrom issued a letter apologizing for “errors” in the plans, which were eventually withdrawn. A public statement from Fifa also warned that it “will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process and will take all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation.” Fifa acknowledged that it had “not been the intention… for member associations to feel excluded from the process” and admitted that the situation should have been “handled differently.” A review is expected to be conducted, with findings presented at the next Fifa Council meeting.
Challenges for Uefa and potential future actions
Uefa faces challenges in its efforts regarding Infantino. While the easiest path to exert pressure was hoped to be a gradual increase in opposition, Infantino appears to have no intention of resigning. European football seems to be an outlier, struggling to gather sufficient support to remove him. The president of the Gambia Football Federation, Lamin Kaba Bajo, praised Infantino‘s “courage” and expressed increased support.
Only Jordan, one of the few countries that did not support Infantino previously, has publicly stated it will not vote for his re-election. Concacaf, another confederation, issued a public statement after the proposal was aborted but did not express a loss of confidence in the Fifa president. Conmebol, the South American confederation, stated it would not support any action that disregards Fifa‘s mechanisms before the presidential election.
Uefa ideally seeks an emergency meeting of the Fifa Council to hold Infantino accountable, but securing the necessary 19 of 36 confederation and football association heads has proven difficult. Uefa also maintains the option of a vote of no confidence, which would require a majority of Fifa‘s 211 member associations, specifically 106 votes, to pass the motion. This would effectively be a presidential election without a second candidate.
If Uefa believes it cannot secure the required votes, triggering such a motion may be seen as ineffective. Another option is to find a unity candidate to challenge Infantino in the election. Any delay provides Infantino with an opportunity to build support, especially with Fifa expected to announce new funding for member associations by the end of the year. Uefa‘s most significant leverage remains the threat of a boycott, a strategy that will be tested with upcoming tournaments.
Some within the European confederation believe Fifa‘s recent statement underscores the need for Infantino to step down. There is a perception within Uefa that the statement did not represent the entire world governing body and lacked consultation with the council or membership. There is also a view that Infantino is attempting to avoid personal responsibility by distributing blame for the aborted proposals, suggesting he alone should have apologized rather than issuing an expression of regret alongside his deputy. Conversely, some Infantino loyalists within Fifa view the European outcry as “hysteria,” arguing it disregards his global legitimacy. Infantino‘s continued hold on power could intensify opposition, both from within and outside Fifa, making the identification of a rival candidate for the next presidential election increasingly likely.
The next major test for senior national teams regarding a potential boycott is scheduled for October, when England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland are set to participate in play-offs for qualification to the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup.
Source: bbc.com
