Confederations call for leadership change
Uefa, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and Concacaf are advocating for Gianni Infantino to step down as Fifa president. This call comes after the three governing bodies issued an open letter demanding “leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it.” They accuse Infantino of “trust broken through deception” and criticised his failure to acknowledge that his proposed Football Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme should not have been launched unilaterally.
The open letter, signed by Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin, AFC counterpart Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, and Concacaf president Victor Montagliani, highlights a significant escalation in tensions. The confederations have reportedly begun preliminary discussions regarding the creation of new competitions. This development follows repeated threats from Uefa to boycott Fifa events, with the potential for European teams to be absent from next month’s under-20 women’s World Cup.
The letter asserts that “Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding – or demanding – power to be held. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it.” It further states that this duty is abandoned “when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority.”
Criticism of Fifa’s response and FFE scheme
The confederations strongly criticised Fifa‘s handling of the crisis, particularly its response to the FFE scheme. They noted that Fifa‘s acknowledgement of mistakes treated the situation as a “failure of communication,” rather than a “failure of judgment.” The letter argues that the proposal itself was “inherently wrong” and that attempting to sell an interest in the Fifa World Cup constituted a “profound failure of judgment,” representing a fundamental breach of trust.
The FFE plan, which has placed considerable pressure on Infantino, involved making stakes in Fifa’s commercial and event operations, including the World Cups and Club World Cups, available for private investment. Following a crisis meeting in Morocco involving select members of Fifa’s management, Infantino and Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom apologised for the proposal, and Infantino reportedly received “full support” from his senior leadership team.
However, the open letter from Uefa, Concacaf, and the AFC suggests that this meeting in Morocco, where only a select number of Fifa Management Committee members were summoned abroad, reinforced concerns. They view it as a continuation of a pattern of conduct where leadership believes the game is answerable to them, rather than acting as custodians. The confederations also called for an independent review of the scandal, to be conducted by a body outside of football, disagreeing with Fifa‘s commitment to present a report to its own council.
Divisions and future considerations
While Uefa, Concacaf, and the AFC have clearly outlined their position, their view is not universally shared within the football community. Infantino has received support from individual member associations, including the Argentine Football Association and the Mexican Football Federation, despite the latter’s confederation, Concacaf, calling for his departure. Additionally, the influential African Football Confederation (CAF) and Conmebol, the confederation for South and Central America, have both publicly backed Infantino in recent days.
Efforts to find a suitable candidate to replace Infantino have intensified since his privately-backed plan was revealed, with Victor Montagliani believed to be among the leading contenders. Candidates for the Fifa election must announce their bids by 18 November. The confederations are exploring all options within Fifa‘s statutes and governance framework to facilitate Infantino‘s replacement.
The letter also addresses concerns about financial aid, stating that the issue is not about any member association losing support, despite what it describes as “fearmongering.” It concludes by calling for unity, asserting that “Football’s strength has always been its unity. We call for that unity to be honoured now, with leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it.”
Uefa had previously reiterated its threat of European member associations boycotting future men’s and women’s World Cups. A spokesperson for Uefa stated on August 6 that the organisation had lost confidence in Gianni Infantino’s presidency, a position that remains unchanged.
The confederations’ call for accountability highlights a significant rift within global football governance, with the open letter serving as a direct challenge to Infantino‘s leadership.
Source: theguardian.com