UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has made his position clear ahead of the upcoming FIFA elections. He will not run for the presidency, but he issued a stern warning to the current president, Gianni Infantino, demanding that he step aside or face a leadership challenge next March.
The scandal involving Infantino
Infantino is under unprecedented pressure following his controversial (and now abandoned) plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors. This initiative led three of the continental confederations to accuse him of “deception,” prompting UEFA to threaten to boycott FIFA competitions.
Infantino is lacking support from the football world
During an interview on the British podcast “The Rest is Politics: Leading,” Ceferin was blunt about the options left to the current FIFA president:
- The resignation route: “One option is for him to realize that he lacks support—and I’m not just talking about political support from voters, but support from the soccer community, political support from fans, players, former players, and coaches.”
- The election route: “The second option is for him to run in the March election, but in that case, I think he’ll face a challenger. I don’t know who it will be yet.”
The deadline and Ceferin’s future
Gianni Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, seemed on track for an unopposed reelection next year in Morocco. However, the current crisis has changed the landscape ahead of the November 18 deadline set by FIFA for candidate nominations.
Despite being considered by many as the natural challenger, the 58-year-old Slovenian leader reiterated his commitment to European soccer and explained why he will not seek the presidency:
“I’m not interested for two reasons. The first is that I love UEFA; I love working here, and I think that at a certain point… it’s also time to enjoy life a little. The second point is that my credibility is much, much greater if I’m not interested in the position.”
The countdown has begun. Will we see the end of the Infantino era, or will he manage to hold on to power amid the administrative chaos?
