The Swiss Football Association no longer supports Infantino
Keystone-SDA
The Executive Committee of the Swiss Football Association (SFV) no longer supports Gianni Infantino’s bid for a further term as FIFA President. It has decided to withdraw the support it had pledged as recently as June.
The decision was taken at the central board meeting on September 25. It follows a comprehensive reassessment of developments over the past few months, the Football Association announced.
“From the SFV’s perspective, various events raise fundamental questions regarding leadership, governance, transparency and decision-making processes within FIFA,” writes the SFV. “This relates in particular to the issues of regulatory clarity and competition integrity in the Balogun case, as well as institutional involvement and accountability in connection with FIFA Forward Enterprise.”
In the Balogun case, the FIFA President from canton Valais came under fire after the suspension of US striker Folarin Balogun following a red card during a match at the last World Cup. FIFA deleted Balogun’s suspension following a telephone call between US President Donald Trump and Infantino.
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The furore surrounding FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) – through which shares in the Football World Cups were to be sold to private investors with links to the US President – was even greater.
As a result, a number of associations, particularly in Europe and North America, withdrew their support for Infantino’s third term in office, and the SFV has now done the same. The Swiss Football Association expects FIFA’s leadership to uphold “the highest standards of transparency, accountability and institutional responsibility”, explains SFV President Peter Knäbel.
Infantino intends to stand for election for a further – and final – four-year term at the 77th FIFA Congress in March next year in Rabat, the capital of Morocco. Although opposition is now considerable, there is as yet no rival candidate.
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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
