Amidst a storm of criticism over a now-abandoned private investment plan, FIFA president Gianni Infantino finds himself with crucial backing, yet calls for his resignation persistently echo.
At 56, the Italian-Swiss lawyer, who has held his position for a decade, is facing an uncertain future. Despite standout support from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and significant figures within South American football, his tenure remains precarious.
In a bold move, FIFA had projected an opportunity to generate up to US$4.2 billion, hinging on a US$20 billion valuation for a proposed new commercial entity dubbed the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). This subsidiary was intended to manage prestigious events such as the World Cup and the Club World Cup.
However, past alliances have dissolved.
Once a trusted ally, UEFA, where Infantino fulfilled the role of secretary-general from 2009 to 2016, is now openly clashing with FIFA. Reiterating their stance this past Thursday, UEFA emphasized last Saturday’s declaration, stating they can no longer place their “confidence” in Infantino.
UEFA repeated its threat of boycotting the World Cups and one of its member associations, the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) called for Infantino to go immediately.
“We (NFF) are going to ask the FIFA president to resign now,” said its straight-talking president Lise Klaveness on Friday.
Infantino is nigh on certain not to heed such a call and carry on his campaign to be elected for a fourth and final term in Rabat next March.
Infantino, who had spent the past turbulent week amongst friends in Morocco who are co-hosting the 2030 World Cup, is for the moment the only candidate.
The deadline for nominations is 18 November.
There is also a mechanism whereby an extraordinary FIFA congress can be called and a vote of no confidence in Infantino held.
Klaveness, also a lawyer, would be many people’s choice as a successor, and also the first woman to be head of world football.
However, Klaveness told AFP her personal ambitions had not played a role in demanding Infantino’s resignation.
“We’re not there yet,” said Klaveness.
“For us, it’s now about the issues I just mentioned, and not about particular individuals.
“It would be strange for me to start answering questions about myself, and that goes for everyone,” the 45-year-old added.
‘Public lynching’
North and Central America’s governing body CONCACAF’s president Victor Montagliani has been the most oft-cited name in terms of challenging Infantino.
CONCACAF — which includes the three co-hosts of the recent World Cup — had been, along with UEFA, the most brutal in their criticism of Infantino and called for “a comprehensive reckoning with this presidency”.
However, there has been radio silence from CONCACAF since the latest FIFA statement backing Infantino was issued on Thursday following an emergency meeting of senior directors in Morocco.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had also been critical of the manner in which the plan had been handled but, like CONCACAF, kept its own counsel following the FIFA statement.
However, Infantino, who has moved on to Colombia where he attended Friday’s inauguration of the country’s hard-right president Abelardo de la Espriella in Cali, is not without support.
Photos released by the Colombian Football Federation show a smiling Infantino standing alongside South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) president Alejandro Dominguez and the president of the Colombian federation, Ramon Jesurun.
CONMEBOL, which includes iconic federations such as Argentina and Brazil, had on Thursday expressed its “concern regarding the repeated unilateral actions taken” by FIFA.
However, on Friday, the CONMEBOL president told journalists “one cannot ignore the great work” done by Infantino.
“We must continue working for football through dialogue; it is not necessary to always agree,” Dominguez added.
Following the powerful Argentine Football Association (AFA) and the Paraguayan federation on Thursday, Infantino also received support Friday from the federations of Venezuela and Ecuador.
Mexico — one of the World Cup co-hosts — also swung behind him.
“The FMF (Mexican Football Federation) supports president Infantino’s leadership,” it said in a statement.
CAF’s executive committee “unanimously reconfirmed its support” for the FIFA president in a statement on Thursday.
The body’s decision will have pleased South Africa’s sports minister Gayton McKenzie, who had urged African football to resist what he called the “public lynching” of Infantino.