UEFA issues ultimatum to Infantino: Resign or face removal
According to The Telegraph, all 55 UEFA member associations are prepared to support a vote of no confidence in the FIFA president following his attempt to sell World Cup commercial rights.
Pressure on Gianni Infantino is mounting. According to an exclusive report by the British newspaper The Telegraph, UEFA has issued a clear ultimatum to the FIFA president: resign from his position or face an urgent vote of no confidence intended to lead to his removal.
All 55 associations that are members of UEFA are prepared to vote in favor of ending Infantino's tenure if he refuses to step down. To initiate the procedure, the support of only 43 associations is required, giving UEFA a sufficient majority to advance the move.
This development comes after Infantino was forced to shelve plans to sell a stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup to private investors. The move sparked widespread opposition in the football world and led to an internal rebellion at FIFA, which employees described as "killing the monster."
UEFA issued a sharp statement clarifying that it had lost confidence in the FIFA leadership:
"It is impossible to continue like this, with secret plans that are promoted on accelerated schedules, woven by faceless people, and whose benefit to the game is questionable. We must identify those responsible and hold them accountable."
The statement further added:
"No option should be taken off the table. The current FIFA leadership has lost not only the trust of UEFA, but also the trust of many other members of the football family."
UEFA recalled Infantino's words upon his election in 2016, when he committed to transparency and to transferring funds for the benefit of football development. "In both of these promises he failed," the statement claimed. "The miserable, secret, and non-transparent deal that he concocted and tried to force was anything but transparent."
According to the report, Infantino planned to sell 30 percent of the commercial rights for FIFA's top men's and women's competitions. UEFA accused the organization of attempting to trade the "soul of football," and on Thursday, all 55 member associations voted in favor of a boycott of the World Cup if the move is carried out.
CONCACAF and the Asian Confederation also joined the opposition, and Infantino failed to secure the support of more than half of the 211 associations that are members of FIFA. At the same time, his senior advisor Carlos Cordeiro resigned in protest, while FIFA's Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Lamour, claimed that the organization's employees were "misled."
The English Football Association joined UEFA's position, stating: "The time has come for a full and thorough examination of the FIFA leadership and the way it is managed, to ensure that world football is managed transparently, for the benefit of all 211 associations and while maintaining the game for the long term."
