Infantino is facing increasing scrutiny from UEFA and others, but several national associations continue to stand firmly behind him.
A number of national football associations across the world have confirmed that they have formally withdrawn their support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino following his failed proposal to privatize 20% of the World Cup and other FIFA-organized competitions.
UEFA and Concacaf have issued strongly worded statements criticizing the actions of FIFA and Infantino, with European soccer’s governing body threatening to ensure its national teams boycott future FIFA competitions, including World Cups , unless major reforms take place.
Having Infantino removed from his position appears to be among those reforms, with UEFA making it clear it has “lost confidence” in his presidency.
Following an emergency meeting in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday, FIFA issued a statement saying “the FIFA Secretary General and members of the FIFA Management Board in attendance reaffirmed their full support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino ,” while also apologizing to its member associations and admitting that “mistakes were made” and that “there are always lessons to be learned.”
🚨JUST IN: The Norwegian Football Federation has said they have no confidence in Gianni Infantino and that “we will ask him to resign” The Mexican Football Federation has decided to back Infantino, saying it “embraces the call to collectively continue developing football for the… pic.twitter.com/lSuDyVaTqD
UEFA , however, insisted on Thursday that its position remains unchanged .
“Yesterday’s announcement that some people employed by the FIFA President (and whose careers depend on his favour) agree with him changes nothing. ”
Individual European associations lead those who have confirmed they are not in favor of Infantino being re-elected next March. So far, the national associations that are set to oppose his re-election are:
Jordan is the only non-European national association on the list, which isn’t a surprise. Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, president of the Jordanian Football Association (JFA), took to social media with a blistering post slamming FIFA over its treatment of team officials during the World Cup, unpaid fees, and alleged “blackmail” aimed at securing votes for Gianni Infantino in the upcoming election.
Uefa paid off an alleged mistress of Gianni Infantino while he was its general secretary, The Telegraph can disclose. The woman received a six-figure sum after the alleged relationship with Mr Infantino while he was a top official at European football’s governing body. Read our… pic.twitter.com/GIpxo8cVEC
On the flip side, several national associations have offered the Swiss executive their backing , despite the growing number of controversies he finds himself engulfed by.
The associations that have confirmed they will continue to back Infantino are:
No European country has so far taken the opposite stance to UEFA.
Infantino’s latest controversy has forced him to deny claims that UEFA allegedly paid off a woman said to have been in a relationship with him during his time as the European governing body’s secretary general. The woman was reportedly promoted to a senior management role while the relationship was ongoing but resigned after Michel Platini, UEFA president at the time, confronted Infantino over the alleged affair.
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