UEFA, AFC and CONCACAF launch fresh attack on Infantino over FIFA rights row

New Delhi: UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF launched an unprecedented attack on FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Monday, accusing him of breaking trust through “deception” and placing himself above the collective after his controversial proposal to sell a stake in the commercial rights to the World Cup.

In an open letter to the football community, the three confederations didn’t explicitly call for Infantino to resign. However, they demanded an independent investigation into the events surrounding the now-abandoned proposal.

“Football’s strength has always been its unity,” the confederations said in their letter. “We call for that unity to be honoured now, for leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it.”

The Swiss administrator has faced increasing opposition in the football world since proposing a plan to sell off 20% of the World Cup’s commercial rights to private investors. This scheme aimed to raise around $4.2 billion.

UEFA, supported by the AFC and CONCACAF, has threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments unless it gets assurances that similar proposals regarding commercial rights will not be made in the future.

“Leadership in football is not a possession,” the three confederations said. “It is not about holding – or demanding – power to be held. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it.”

“When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned,” they added.

The confederations also criticised an emergency FIFA meeting held in Morocco last week, arguing that only one elected official was present. They called for a fully independent review, with no involvement from FIFA, to establish what led to what they described as a “profound failure of judgement.”

The confederations also criticized an emergency FIFA meeting held in Morocco last week, arguing that only one elected official attended. They called for a completely independent review, with no FIFA involvement, to find out what led to what they called a “profound failure of judgment.”

This latest confrontation comes amid an escalating leadership crisis for Infantino, with some national associations and football officials openly questioning his position before the FIFA presidential election.

Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian Football Federation, who has long criticized Infantino and is considered by some to be a possible challenger, urged the 56-year-old to resign immediately on Friday.

However, Infantino continues to receive support from several FIFA member associations and confederations. After Wednesday’s emergency meeting, FIFA apologized to its 211 member associations, while Infantino sought to strengthen support within the six continental confederations that make up world football’s governing body. IANS

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