Infantino Faces Re-election Uncertainty
Gianni Infantino will hold a crisis meeting with top Fifa officials in Morocco on Wednesday. The Fifa president has been the subject of a torrent of criticism since he floated the idea of the new commercial rights body to Fifa’s 211 member associations last week. The proposed sale of 20% of the body to private investment to raise $4.2 billion, and the involvement of a company with family links to US President Donald Trump, were just the most egregious flaws in the plan for its many critics.
Fifa‘s European confederation, Uefa, has accused him of selling the soul of the game and have said they no longer have confidence in his leadership. This has cast a shadow over Infantino’s re-election for a fourth term at the Fifa Congress in Morocco in March, which looked a foregone conclusion two months ago. A handful of European federations have withdrawn their backing for the Swiss-Italian, and some of Infantino’s colleagues at Fifa have also spoken out against him. Fifa Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom sent an internal memo to staff lamenting the “sad and reproachable series of events” that led to the project being “permanently abandoned”.
The first order of Wednesday’s meeting at Fifa’s Africa office in Sale is likely to focus on ensuring that Infantino at least survives the seven months until the election. An Extraordinary Congress could be called if 43 or more Fifa member associations make a formal written request for one. Uefa, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation are determined to force Infantino out of office by paralysing Fifa and even starting up their own competitions if he refuses to go.
This crisis meeting comes after a tumultuous week for Infantino, with his senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigning in protest at the plan and former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger distancing himself from it. Wenger, the chief of Global Football Development at Fifa, said he was not involved in the drafting of the proposal and maintained the decision to withdraw it was “absolutely necessary”.
The fallout from the proposed sale of World Cup commercial rights has been intense, with many questioning Infantino’s leadership and vision for the future of football. As the crisis meeting gets underway, one thing is clear: the fate of Gianni Infantino’s presidency hangs in the balance.
