Uefa’s Stance on Infantino’s Leadership
Uefa has reiterated that its position regarding Fifa president Gianni Infantino remains unchanged, despite Fifa’s management board expressing full support for him. The European governing body stated that Fifa’s backing of its president, particularly by employees whose careers depend on his favour, “changes nothing” regarding Uefa’s loss of confidence in his leadership. This follows Infantino’s decision to abandon a plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
Uefa’s conditions for not boycotting Fifa competitions have not been met. These conditions included the withdrawal of proposals to sell off major competitions and assurances that such attempts to “disfigure the game” would not be made again. The European body had previously called the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal a “shabby, back room, opaque deal.”
The English FA has formally withdrawn its support for Infantino’s re-election, sending a letter to Fifa. This decision aligns with Wales’ earlier withdrawal of support. The first test of Uefa’s boycott stance is expected at the Fifa Women’s U20s World Cup, which is scheduled to begin on September 5 in Poland, with six European nations, including England, set to participate.
Fifa’s Internal Meeting and Apology
Infantino received the full support of Fifa’s management board during a meeting in Rabat, Morocco. This occurred despite his earlier attempts to sell stakes in a company to run the World Cup being abandoned. During the meeting, Fifa acknowledged “mistakes” regarding the FFE, 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.”
Infantino, along with secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, issued an apology for “errors” in the plans that were eventually withdrawn on August 1. Grafstrom had previously criticised the FFE proposals in an internal memo, calling them a “sad and reproachable series of events.” However, after the meeting, Infantino and Grafstrom were seen together, smiling, at a Women’s Africa Cup of Nations match between Malawi and Zambia.
Other members of the Fifa management board who attended the meeting included finance chief Thomas Peyer, legal chief Emilio Garcia Silvero, chief of staff Daniel O’Toole, chief of member associations Elkhan Mammadov, and media relations director Bryan Swanson. Notably, Fifa’s chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, who had strongly criticised Infantino’s FFE plan as “the project of one person,” was reportedly not invited to the meeting.
Ongoing Challenges and Potential Boycott
Uefa’s concerns stem from the belief that the meeting in Rabat was primarily a gathering of employees who are part of the current regime. The European body seeks answers to key questions, including who was involved in the FFE proposal, whether there was a competitive tender process, and if Infantino stood to benefit personally. Uefa maintains that it will not be satisfied until these questions are addressed or Infantino leaves his position.
The option of a boycott remains a key asset for Uefa in its efforts to challenge Infantino’s presidency. While forcing an emergency meeting of the Fifa Council requires support from 19 of 36 confederation and football association heads, which has proven difficult, Uefa also has the option of triggering a vote of no confidence through an extraordinary congress. This would require a majority of Fifa’s 211 member associations, specifically 106 votes, to pass the motion.
Concacaf is the only other confederation to issue a public statement after the proposal was aborted, though it did not go as far as Uefa in expressing 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. The next major test for a potential boycott involving senior national teams 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
