UEFA and its president Alexander Čeferin have lost confidence in Gianni Infantino, the embattled Swiss FIFA chief, following a turbulent week in which Infantino revealed plans to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors, according to The Telegraph.
Infantino now faces an ultimatum from UEFA: resign or face an emergency vote of no confidence.
Reports indicate that all 55 UEFA member associations are prepared to vote for Infantino’s removal through a no-confidence motion if he refuses to step down. UEFA only needs the backing of 43 member associations to initiate such a vote.
The European football governing body announced its loss of trust on Saturday morning and called for change after Infantino was forced to abandon his £15 billion plan to sell a share in the World Cup.
UEFA’s statement came amid widespread opposition and internal rebellion within FIFA, with staff reportedly referring to the situation as an attempt to “kill the monster.”
The Football Association expressed full support for UEFA’s stance, declaring: “We fully back UEFA’s position. It is time for a comprehensive and thorough review of FIFA’s leadership and governance to ensure transparent management of global football for the benefit of all 211 member associations, with long-term stewardship at its core.”
In its call for leadership reform at FIFA, UEFA stated: “We cannot continue down this path with secretive schemes being rushed through by faceless individuals with questionable benefit to the game. We must identify those responsible and hold them accountable.”
UEFA confirmed that over the coming days and weeks it will collaborate closely with its member associations and other confederations to analyze how this situation arose and to develop a plan to prevent any recurrence. This review will be thorough and fundamental, with no options excluded. FIFA’s current leadership has lost the trust not only of UEFA but also of many other members of the football family.
When Gianni Infantino sought the trust and votes of FIFA’s member associations to become president in 2016, he promised: “Of course, we must be transparent. I have been so for the last 15 years at UEFA. You will have to play your role every day in the life of FIFA,” addressing the stakeholders gathered: “FIFA’s money is your money. It is not the president’s money. It is your money.” “You are the national associations, and FIFA’s money must serve the development of football, not anything else.”
He has failed to deliver on any of these promises. The opaque, behind-the-scenes deal he initiated and tried to push through was far from transparent.
Despite FIFA holding reserves exceeding $5 billion, Infantino has also failed to use association funds to benefit the game.
UEFA will immediately begin working with partners and stakeholders worldwide across football to propose a new way to allocate resources within the existing FIFA Forward programme.
We must start using some of the money lying idle in FIFA’s bank accounts to boost grassroots and broader football development in each of FIFA’s 211 member countries. But there is no need to sell the family silver to pay for this.
This is a victory for football as a whole. But it must not be the end of the story. The proposal has been rejected. The task of restoring trust in FIFA is only just beginning.”
Infantino has faced criticism across the football world after details emerged of his plan to sell 30 percent of the commercial rights to the World Cup to private investors.
This scheme would have allowed a group of investors to control the commercial interests of FIFA’s premier men’s and women’s tournaments.
UEFA accused FIFA of attempting to sell the soul of football, and on Thursday, all 55 of its member associations, including the English Football Association, voted 55-0 to boycott the World Cup.
Although CONCACAF nations in North and Central America followed UEFA’s lead, FIFA issued an optimistic statement on Friday insisting the plan would go ahead and denying that it was “selling football.”
However, once the Asian Football Confederation confirmed it would also oppose the plan, declaring solidarity with UEFA and CONCACAF in defending the World Cup, Infantino failed to secure the support of over 50 percent of the 211 football nations worldwide for his proposal.
