LONDON: UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has called on FIFA chief Gianni Infantino to step down, warning that the under-fire football administrator could face a leadership challenge if he contests the next presidential election.
Infantino has faced mounting pressure over his now-abandoned proposal to secure private investment in FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup.
UEFA has strongly opposed the plan and threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, while several continental and national football federations have also withdrawn their support for Infantino.
Ceferin rules out FIFA presidency
Despite his criticism, Ceferin said he had no interest in succeeding Infantino as head of world football’s governing body.
Speaking to The Rest is Politics podcast on Monday, the 58-year-old Slovenian said he wanted to continue his work at UEFA and believed his criticism carried greater credibility because he was not seeking Infantino’s position.
“My credibility is much, much higher if I’m not interested in the position,” Ceferin said.
Ceferin said Infantino now faced two possible scenarios: recognising that he had lost the backing of much of the football community and stepping aside, or contesting the election and facing an opponent.
The next FIFA Congress is scheduled to take place in Morocco in March.
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Ceferin said Infantino had lost not only political backing among football officials but also support from fans, players, former players and coaches.
He added that he had not spoken to Infantino since the controversy began.
CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani and Asian Football Confederation chief Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa have emerged as possible challengers, although Ceferin said he did not yet know who might stand.
Infantino, meanwhile, appeared to address the growing controversy during meetings with football officials in the Dominican Republic over the weekend.
The FIFA president stressed the importance of dialogue and listening to different opinions, while saying he remained encouraged by the support he had received.
Infantino has led FIFA since 2016, when he succeeded Sepp Blatter with broad support from European football nations.
