Uefa, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and Concacaf have issued an open letter calling for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to resign. The letter criticises Infantino’s leadership, stating that it “serves football, not seeks to command it.” This action marks an escalation in tensions that have arisen since details emerged about FIFA‘s failed Football Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme.
The three governing bodies have accused Infantino of breaking trust through deception and failing to acknowledge that the FFE proposal should not have been launched unilaterally. The letter asserts that “leadership in football is not a possession” but rather “a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it.” It further states that this duty is abandoned “when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority.”
The FFE proposal involved creating a new company to manage commercial and ticketing rights for all FIFA competitions, including the World Cups, with 21% to be sold to a private investment company. This plan was abandoned following widespread criticism, particularly from Uefa, which has previously threatened to boycott FIFA events.
Concerns over FIFA’s response and independent review
The open letter strongly criticises FIFA‘s response to the controversy. A meeting involving senior staff in Rabat was followed by an apology from Infantino that, according to the confederations, did not demonstrate remorse for the scheme. The letter argues that FIFA treated the situation as a “failure of communication” rather than a “failure of judgment.”
It highlights that FIFA has not acknowledged the proposal itself was “inherently wrong” or that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup constituted a “profound failure of judgment.” The confederations view this as a “fundamental breach of trust with the very institutions FIFA exists to serve.”
The presidents of Uefa, AFC, and Concacaf have called for an independent review of the matter, conducted by a body outside of football. While FIFA has committed to presenting a report to the FIFA Council at its next scheduled meeting, the confederations argue that proper governance requires a review by a fully independent third party.
The letter also addresses concerns about potential financial aid loss under different leadership, stating it is “not about any member association losing the support it has earned.” It concludes by calling for unity to be honored with leadership that serves football.
Discussions of alternative competitions and divided support
Preliminary discussions have begun among the three confederations regarding the organisation of new competitions. This comes alongside Uefa‘s repeated threats to boycott FIFA events. One report indicates that the Under-20 Women’s World Cup, scheduled for next month, could potentially proceed without European teams, with alternative options being explored.
The letter is signed by Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin, AFC counterpart Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, and Concacaf president Victor Montagliani. Efforts to find a suitable candidate to replace Infantino have intensified since his privately supported plan was revealed, and Montagliani is believed to be among the potential contenders.
Despite the unified stance of these three confederations, support for Infantino remains divided among individual member associations. Few outside Europe have publicly opposed Infantino, and only a small minority have withdrawn their letters of support for his re-election next March. Influential confederations such as the African (Caf) and South American (Conmebol) confederations have recently expressed their backing for Infantino.
A number of larger member associations have reportedly written to Infantino requesting a meeting to discuss his actions regarding the FFE scheme, but no response has been received. Infantino has also not contacted federations to address his role in the situation.
Following the tripartite statement, another joint release was issued by US Soccer and Canada Soccer, the World Cup hosts. Along with the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) and the Central American Football Union (UNCAF), these bodies also called for governance changes at FIFA. These four bodies represent 40 of the 41 Concacaf members, with Mexico, another World Cup host, having publicly reaffirmed its support for Infantino last Friday.
The open letter from Uefa, Concacaf, and the AFC signals a significant increase in pressure on Gianni Infantino as the deadline for candidates to announce their bids for the FIFA election approaches on 18 November.
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Source: theguardian.com
