Gianni Infantino laughs off calls to quit as FIFA president despite World Cup commercial rights storm
Gianni Infantino has defiantly dismissed suggestions that he should resign from his post as FIFA president following a period of intense institutional turmoil. The Swiss-Italian administrator claims he retains the overwhelming support of the global football community despite facing a backlash over plans to sell off commercial rights.
Infantino survives commercial rights fallout
Two months ago, Infantino faced immense pressure from UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The confederation heads accused him of 'deception' regarding the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative. This controversial proposal involved selling a share of FIFA's commercial rights to a private investment firm.
Infantino abandoned the FFE project just days after its introduction. However, the fallout severely damaged his relationship with key stakeholders. UEFA recently gave FIFA a November 2 deadline to release all documentation related to the aborted plan, claiming fundamental questions remain unanswered.
During a recent FIFA Council meeting, members warned Infantino he would be unfit for office if he withheld the requested files. The president later issued an apology regarding how the FFE project was communicated and consulted upon.
'It's OK to disagree'
Despite the fierce criticism, Infantino remains entirely unbothered by the prospect of stepping down. When asked in a rare interview if he had considered resigning, the FIFA chief simply laughed before defending his mandate.
"Well you know I was elected by 211 member associations from all over the world," he said. "I think what is important is that in an organisation like FIFA, there can be different views, different points of view. But if we are serious about democracy, about the democratic process, about believing that everyone has the same vote and the same voice all over the world, that football belongs to everyone, if we are serious about that, then we need, to respect as well the views of the vast, vast majority."
Addressing the bitter rift with UEFA and other confederations, Infantino called for unity. "There is nothing bad in disagreeing," he added. "We see it every day in so many countries in the world. It's OK to disagree. It's OK to have different points of view, but then we need to be able to move on."
Speaking from the Under-15 World Cup in Azerbaijan, he acknowledged administrative missteps. The president conceded that FIFA had done "some things which are maybe less good" while insisting he and the administration were operating "as best we can".
Global support shores up re-election bid
Infantino has spent recent weeks travelling across the globe to rebuild his political capital. Visits to Morocco, Cape Verde, Japan, and the Dominican Republic have yielded significant dividends. Crucially, AFC president Sheikh Salman executed a dramatic U-turn to back the Swiss-Italian, fracturing the initial opposition bloc.
"I'm just coming back off Tokyo where the Asian Football Confederation has fully endorsed me," Infantino stated. "I was in Cape Verde where all African countries have endorsed me. I'm speaking to all associations everywhere in the world."
He noted the difficulty of keeping the football world united but stressed that ultimate power lies with the voters. "There are different points of view it's not always easy to bring them all under one roof but we need to respect and I do respect all opinions all views and then it will be up to the FIFA member associations to decide who they want as a president and how they want FIFA to be run," he explained.
When pressed on whether he would release the controversial FFE documents demanded by UEFA, Infantino remained evasive. Citing ongoing legal procedures, he stated: "We'll answer of course all the questions that are asked as far as the process allows, as far as we can."
Unopposed run to a third term
Infantino's aggressive campaign to consolidate power has made his re-election for a third term look almost inevitable. The deadline for rival candidates to declare their intention to stand in the March presidential election is set for November 18.
Currently, no challengers have stepped forward, meaning Infantino could comfortably run unopposed. To further sweeten his appeal to member associations, he has proposed a massive $3.4 billion (£2.6bn) funding increase for global football development.
