FIFA Crisis: Ceferin Urges Infantino to Resign
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has urged FIFA president Gianni Infantino to step down, warning that he could face a leadership challenge if he seeks re-election next year. Ceferin, however, has ruled himself out of replacing Infantino, saying he is not interested in becoming FIFA president. Infantino has faced growing criticis over his now-abandoned proposal to secure private investment for FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup. UEFA has threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, while several continental and national football associations have also withdrawn their support for the FIFA president. Speaking on The Rest is Politics podcast, Ceferin said he preferred to remain at UEFA and eventually spend more time away from football administration. He also argued that refusing to seek Infantino’s position would strengthen his credibility. Ceferin has been among the most outspoken critics of Infantino since the FIFA investment plans emerged. He said the Swiss-Italian administrator’s previously strong position was now under significant pressure. According to Ceferin, Infantino has two options: recognise that he no longer has sufficient support within the football community and step aside, or contest the next FIFA election and face an opponent. The election is scheduled to take place at the FIFA Congress in Morocco in March. “One option is that he realises that he doesn’t have the support,” Ceferin said, stressing that the issue went beyond votes from football officials to support from fans, players, former players and coaches. He added that if Infantino chooses to contest the election, he believes another candidate will challenge him, although he said he did not yet know who that would be.
CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani and Asian Football Confederation chief Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa are reportedly among those considered potential challengers. Infantino, who previously served as UEFA secretary general, initially enjoyed strong backing from European football nations when he succeeded Sepp Blatter as FIFA president in 2016. However, Ceferin said the situation had changed considerably and revealed that he had not spoken with Infantino since the controversy began. Infantino was in the Dominican Republic over the weekend for meetings with regional and local football officials, despite reports that Montagliani had asked him not to attend a youth tournament there. In remarks released by FIFA on Sunday, Infantino acknowledged the recent controversy and said dialogue and listening remained important. He also expressed satisfaction with the support he said he was receiving during his meetings in the region.
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