Uefa says it has lost confidence in the Fifa leadership of Gianni Infantino, accusing the president of failing to deliver on promises as the fallout from a scrapped investment plan intensifies.
Uefa, the governing body of European football, has said it has lost confidence in the current Fifa leadership of Gianni Infantino, according to the BBC. The statement marks a significant escalation in tensions between European football’s authorities and Fifa’s president.
The move comes as the fallout from a scrapped, controversial investment plan intensified. Uefa’s criticism was made public as the dispute between the two bodies came to a head.
In its statement, Uefa said Fifa president Gianni Infantino has “failed to deliver” on promises he made when he was elected 10 years ago, the BBC reported. The remarks amount to a direct challenge to Infantino’s stewardship of world football’s governing body.
According to Al Jazeera, Uefa were the strongest opponents of Fifa’s plan. The organisation criticised the Infantino-led governing body despite the standdown on the investment proposal.
The scrapping of the investment plan did not appear to ease Uefa’s concerns, with the European body maintaining its critical stance even after the plan was withdrawn. The details of the plan itself were not specified in the statements reported.
The public rebuke signals a period of strained relations at the top of international football, with Europe’s governing body openly questioning the direction of Fifa’s leadership.
Why it matters
Uefa oversees European football and is one of the most powerful confederations within Fifa, so an open loss of confidence in Fifa's president points to serious divisions at the top of the global game. Such disputes can affect how international competitions and major decisions are governed.