PARIS: Beleaguered Fifa president Gianni Infantino has received some much-needed support, after over a week of scathing criticism revolving around the now shelved private investment plan, but also on Friday there was a call for him to resign.
The 56-year-old Italian-Swiss lawyer’s position remains far from assured despite support from friends he has made during his 10 years in power, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Mexican and Argentinian football federations.
Fifa said it could raise up to $4.2 billion based on a valuation of $20 billion for a new commercial subsidiary, called the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), which it proposed would run events such as the World Cup and Club World Cup.
However, old ties have been cut loose.
European football’s governing body, Uefa, who he served as secretary-general from 2009-16, is in open conflict with Fifa and on Thursday doubled down on last Saturday’s statement saying it no longer has “confidence” in Infantino.
Its reaction came in the wake of Infantino gaining the full support of senior Fifa directors — dismissed as those “whose careers depend on his favour” — and Uefa repeated its threat of boycotting the World Cups.
Uefa’s deployment last Thursday of the nuclear option of the boycott is said to have been pivotal in forcing Infantino to shelve the private investment deal.
One of its member associations, the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF), did not beat around the bush and called for him 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 has 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 November 18.
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 choices as a successor, and also the first woman to be head of world football.
However, Klaveness said 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 taking down of Infantino even after the humiliating climbdown last Saturday when he withdrew the proposal.
Concacaf had called for “a comprehensive reckoning with this presidency”.
However, there has been radio silence from Concacaf since the latest Fifa statement was issued late on Wednesday following Infantino hosting 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.
Far from Infantino keeping the plan to himself some of those Fifa directors present in Morocco are reported by the New York Times to have been made aware of the proposal at a meeting on the eve of the World Cup final last month.
Infantino, who has moved on to Colombia where he will attend the inauguration of the hard-right president Abelardo de la Espriella, is not without support, though, and some stepped forward publicly.
One of Concacaf’s most powerful members Mexico — one of the World Cup co-hosts — may have been unhappy over the plan but now it is no longer in play they have 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 following a meeting 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.
