FIFA hits back at 'organized efforts' to oust President Infantino amid leadership crisis
Al Jazeera English
FIFA has warned of an organized campaign to undermine President Gianni Infantino, insisting any leadership challenge must follow the organization's democratic processes. The statement follows the collapse of his $4.2 billion fundraising plan and allegations published by The Daily Telegraph, which Infantino denies.
FIFA on August 8 issued a statement condemning what it called an “organized and ongoing effort” to undermine President Gianni Infantino, stressing that any challenge to his leadership must comply with the statutes and democratic procedures of world football's governing body.
The statement came amid a deepening leadership crisis for Infantino, following the collapse of his plan to raise around $4.2 billion by selling stakes in the commercial rights to the World Cup and other tournaments.
The proposal drew criticism from UEFA, national football associations, and several senior FIFA officials, leading to calls for Infantino's resignation and an emergency meeting in Morocco last week, where FIFA's leadership reaffirmed its support for the president.
FIFA did not specify who was attempting to oust Infantino, nor did it detail the reports or allegations it referenced. However, the statement followed a Daily Telegraph report about payments made by UEFA to a former employee who the newspaper claimed had a romantic relationship with Infantino during his time as general secretary of European football's governing body.
Infantino has denied the allegations, and FIFA has dismissed them as baseless. When contacted by AFP, UEFA confirmed that “a severance payment was made to the individual in question” at the time, “together with payment of tuition fees for an MBA at a local business school.”
FIFA said recent reports included “unfounded assertions and clearly false statements” regarding FIFA and its president, vowing to “directly and firmly” refute any inaccurate or misleading reports.
FIFA emphasized it would not support, facilitate, or tolerate any presidential election process inconsistent with its statutes, democratic procedures, and governance framework. “The FIFA President was democratically elected by the member associations and continues to serve under their mandate,” the statement said. “Those who do not have the support of FIFA's member associations should not seek to obtain through allegations and insinuations or misinformation what they cannot achieve through FIFA's established democratic processes.”
The crisis has exposed deep divisions within FIFA. Following an emergency meeting in Morocco on August 6, FIFA apologized to its 211 member associations for mishandling the World Cup proposal and affirmed that leadership continues to fully support Infantino. The fallout has cast a shadow over his bid for a fourth term at the FIFA Congress scheduled for Morocco in March, with no clear challenger emerging.
UEFA has said it no longer has confidence in Infantino, while Norwegian Football Federation President Lise Klaveness on August 7 called for his resignation, arguing he no longer has the institutional trust required to run FIFA. However, Infantino retains significant support among FIFA members. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on August 6 unanimously backed his leadership, while South America's CONMEBOL rejected any attempt to remove him without a vote of all FIFA members. Mexico's Football Federation (FMF) also expressed support for Infantino, despite regional body CONCACAF calling for a “comprehensive review” of his presidency.
