BELFAST: The Irish Football Association, the governing body for football in Northern Ireland, has announced that it will not support FIFA President Gianni Infantino in next year’s presidential election, saying it is time for change within FIFA.
The association’s decision adds to growing opposition to Infantino, who has faced criticism over a proposal to sell a 21% stake in FIFA’s commercial assets to a private investment company. The plan was withdrawn following opposition from UEFA and other stakeholders.
The Irish Football Association said the proposal was presented without adequate consultation with relevant parties. It said the issue raised significant concerns about FIFA’s strategy, governance and oversight of its assets, rather than being simply a failure of communication.
England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland have also withdrawn their support for Infantino, according to the report.
On the other hand, FIFA President Gianni Infantino cannot have a future at soccer’s global governing body, European Leagues President Claudius Schaefer said Wednesday, calling for major reforms to FIFA’s leadership and decision-making process.
In an interview with The Athletic, Schaefer said European Leagues, which represents 53 professional men’s and women’s football leagues, was deeply concerned about Infantino’s leadership and questioned his suitability for another term.
“We question his suitability to continue as president,” Schaefer said, adding that the president’s influence within FIFA appeared to have increased each year and that major decisions were being made without meaningful consultation with affected stakeholders.
Schaefer’s comments come amid a growing dispute between FIFA and several soccer governing bodies over a proposal, since abandoned, to sell part of the commercial rights to the World Cup. Infantino is also facing pressure from three confederations — UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF — to step down. Regional governing bodies have discussed a possible no-confidence vote against him.
Schaefer also criticized FIFA over its inaugural peace prize, awarded to U.S. President Donald Trump in December, and the decision to overturn a ban on U.S. forward Folarin Balogun during this year’s World Cup after a call from Trump.
He said FIFA operates under Swiss law and that its president and board members have legal responsibilities to act with due care.
Schaefer described the political intervention in the sporting matter as unprecedented and said such actions raised questions about the integrity of the game.
“That’s why there is no future at FIFA for Infantino. There can’t be,” Schaefer said.
Infantino is expected to seek re-election for a fourth term next year and could face significant opposition. Schaefer said, however, that reforming the role and governance of the FIFA presidency was more important than simply replacing the person holding the position.
“For us, getting these reforms is the most important task and they can only happen with another president,” he said.
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FIFA did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
