FIFA has released a defiant statement hitting out at what the governing body describes as ongoing and concerted efforts to undermine its president, Gianni Infantino. The organization declared that it would not tolerate any processes concerning the presidential election that fall outside of its established statutes, democratic procedures, and governance framework.
Infantino, who took office in February 2016 following the tenure of Sepp Blatter, currently faces pressure regarding his leadership. The criticism follows a controversial saga involving a now-abandoned plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions. This proposal had triggered the threat of a boycott from UEFA, with the English Football Association notably withdrawing its support for the president. Despite the abandonment of the sell-off plans, UEFA has stated that its boycott threat remains in place.
The FIFA president has also strongly denied recent claims reported by The Telegraph, which alleged that UEFA paid a six-figure sum to a former employee linked to him during his time as the governing body's general secretary. FIFA’s management board, meeting in Morocco on Wednesday, reaffirmed its backing for Infantino, who is scheduled to seek re-election in March of next year. He has also received public support from the South American confederation, Conmebol, and the Confederation of African Football (Caf).
In its statement, FIFA urged those who lack the support of the 211 Member Associations to refrain from using allegations or misinformation to achieve outcomes that they cannot secure through democratic processes. The organization emphasized that Infantino was democratically elected and continues to serve with a clear mandate. FIFA further noted that while it welcomes legitimate scrutiny, it will vigorously challenge reporting that distorts facts or presents speculation as truth. The administration maintained that its primary focus remains on strengthening the organization and delivering for its global members, rather than being distracted by what it termed as manufactured distractions.
“The Fifa President has dedicated more than 30 years of his professional life to European and world football, contributing to significant change in the game and, in particular, to broadening access, resources and opportunity across world football. Change inevitably challenges established interests, but disagreement wit
