Call for Infantino to resign comes amid wave of support

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 there was again a call Friday 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 leading figures in South American football.

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.

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 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 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 late on Wednesday 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.