Arsene Wenger makes final decision on FIFA presidency: Will Arsenal lege...
Legendary Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has made his decision on challenging incumbent FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
The 77-year-old has been FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development since 2019 and has received significant internal backing to run as a candidate in next year's presidential race.
Wenger's popularity and cachet in the game would make him a formidable challenger to the under-fire Infantino, who is scrambling to save face and get re-elected after a series of controversial decisions in recent years.
Infantino's credibility was already seriously damaged in the summer when FIFA succumbed to pressure from the Trump administration and suspended Folarin Balogun's red card ban, which allowed him to feature in the United States' round of 16 clash with Belgium.
In the eyes of many, Infantino's position became untenable when it emerged that he was planning to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors. The so-called "FIFA Forward Enterprise" was quickly scrapped after global outcry.
Wenger makes his decision
UEFA publicly called on Infantino to resign, but the condemnation of the 56-year-old hasn't been unanimous. Several confederations and national associations continue to support the FIFA president.
During his reign, the Swiss-Italian has cleverly leveraged FIFA's solidarity mechanisms to secure backing from smaller federations, which depend more on central funding than large European nations.
Earlier this month, Japan Football Association honorary president and FIFA council member Kozo Tashima announced his intentions to run against Infantino, while it was revealed that Wenger was also considering throwing his hat in the ring.
According to L'Equipe, the former Arsenal boss has now made his decision - and it's good news for Infantino. Wenger is not expected to challenge the incumbent at next year's election in Morocco.
After publicly distancing himself from Infantino following the Forward Enterprise scandal, Wenger began mulling over whether he should put himself forward as a candidate. However, he has lacked the full conviction to actually go through with it.
The French outlet writes: "Since the end of August, the former Arsenal coach has been seriously considering challenging Infantino, but he has been perpetually hesitating over the decision.
"One day, he felt compelled to prevent the head of world football from continuing for another four years, increasingly disgusted by the current management. The next, he was ready to give up, convinced that it is impossible to fight against the rampant cronyism of the FIFA president."
Wenger, it is claimed, has now succumbed to the idea that he is powerless to stop Infantino. The fact that "the position is too far removed from the pitch, his true area of expertise," also played a part in his decision.
The Frenchman was UEFA's preferred candidate to challenge Infantino. It now has to put forward a different name before the 18 November deadline or throw its entire weight behind Tashima.
