MANCHESTER, England (AP) — FIFA president Gianni Infantino held off the potential of an internal revolt during a summit meeting in Morocco this week. A scathing response from European soccer's governing body on Thursday, however, showed that he still has a fight on his hands to hold onto power.
UEFA blasted Infantino and his organization again over his failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup, declaring it wants assurances that “attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again.”
The reaction revealed the depths of animosity toward Infantino as he attempts to run for re-election next year while trying to quell outrage over the equity plan. FIFA issued an apology on Wednesday over the plan, and senior staff members at a crisis meeting in Rabat “reaffirmed their full support” for his presidency.
The UEFA response shows how the apology will not be enough to satisfy his fiercest detractors, who want a change at the top of FIFA.
That process will play out in the coming months with a vote in March among the 211 national member federations. Each nation gets a vote, and he needs a simple majority to retain his presidency.
Infantino left New York with around 200 letters of support from those federations. That number is likely to be depleted now, but it is not clear how many of those individual federations would turn against him when it comes to the vote.
Continental soccer bodies in Europe, Asia and North and South America have voiced varying degrees of opposition to Infantino's plans. Crucially, however, confederations are not obliged to vote collectively and there are no guarantees of reaching the 106 votes needed to ensure a majority in a contested election.
The English FA has withdrawn its support, as have Serbia, Sweden and Wales. Many, many others have been noncommittal.
Infantino, whose expansion of the World Cup has opened it up to more countries, has a traditional support base in Africa, which has 54 voting members. Even among the tumultuous fallout from the plan, he has received pockets of support from individual federations including 2022 World Cup host Qatar.
UEFA maintained its threat to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions and reiterated that it had lost confidence in Infantino.
"Yesterday’s announcement that some people employed by the FIFA President (and whose careers depend on his favor) agree with him changes nothing,” it said.
Infantino is fighting on
Wednesday's summit in Rabat was dubbed a crisis meeting after an internal backlash against Infantino's controversial plan.
His secretary general Mattias Grafström said it created “turmoil which is difficult to comprehend and accept.” Chief of global football development Arsène Wenger distanced himself from the plans, while Infantino’s senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned last week and chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said staff were “deceived” by the president’s lack of openness.
Infantino emerged from the meeting with a unified response from those in attendance — notably Grafström — confirming support for his presidency.
That was evidence of the Swiss-Italian's determination to resist the pressure on his position and win a fourth and final term in office through 2031.
The wording of FIFA's statement, however, was open to interpretation, saying “members of the FIFA Management Board in attendance” reaffirmed their support for him.
FIFA has not published a list of attendees, but it is reported Wenger, Lamour and chief football officer Jill Ellis were among those absent.
It would take at least 19 of FIFA's 37 council members to trigger an extraordinary general meeting where Infantino could be called on to explain his actions.
Finding a challenger
It's one thing wanting Infantino out, it's another finding someone who can drum up the support to take him on.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Qatari president Nasser al-Khelaïfi is widely seen as a good fit. He is the chairman of association of European Football Clubs, which represents the top teams on the continent including Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG and Manchester United.
He was unifying force in the wake of the failed European Super League project and may be seen as the type of candidate capable bringing national federations back together following Infantino's similarly divisive plan.
There's one catch — he doesn't want the job.
A spokesperson told The Associated Press Al-Khelaifi had “absolutely no ambition, no intention and no interest in the FIFA role."
Canadian FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani is another name to throw into the mix. The president of Norwegian soccer Lise Klaveness has been outspoken in her criticism of Infantino, and the president of the Asian soccer confederation, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, also came out strongly in opposition of FFE.
Nov. 18 is the deadline for candidates to enter the next presidential contest, exactly four months ahead of the vote.
Pressure is growing
FIFA said it hoped Wednesday's meeting would “help restore confidence” in the organization after the turbulence created by Infantino’s project.
Infantino's detractors had other ideas.
UEFA's response was scathing, saying it had made it “abundantly clear” that it had lost confidence in Infantino’s presidency.
"That position holds,” it said.
Key dates
As well as the Nov. 18 deadline for candidates, the Women’s Under-20 World Cup hosted by Poland from Sept. 5. would be the first potential target for UEFA's threatened boycott.
A potential boycott also raises uncertainty over the staging for the 2035 Women’s World Cup. The four British federations comprise FIFA’s only bidder to host the tournament and the decision is due Nov. 23.
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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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