Own goal by FIFA boss Infantino: Does the failed investor deal have consequences?

The autocratic Swiss boss of the World Football Association has been controversial for a long time, but now many just want to get rid of Infantino. Preferably as quickly as possible.

“Trust lost”: UEFA is on a confrontation course with Infantino

The UEFA is leading the way and on a confrontation course with the man who has been leading the fortunes of FIFA in the style of a ball-powerful autocrat since 2016. “The current FIFA leadership has not only lost the trust of UEFA, but also that of many other members of the football family,” said a statement from the European association.

The background: Gianni Infantino single-handedly came up with the idea of selling 20 percent of FIFA’s commercial rights to private investors. He promised the 211 national associations a windfall of money – in return he expected goodwill and votes in the 2027 presidential election.

Perfidious game

The UEFA representatives immediately saw through the perfidious game of their former general secretary and unanimously decided to boycott future World Cups. When the continental representatives from Asia and North and Central America also joined in, Gianni Infantino was forced to abandon his sales plans.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino makes an embarrassing U-turn on plans to market the World Cup. He admits that these have ’caused division’ and now hopes to reunite football.

“After carefully listening to all points of view, it has become clear that theproject has led to divisionsthat – regardless of the level of support – are no longer in the interest of the original goal,” said Infantino.

Broken promises

But the FIFA President is wrong if he believes that this means the matter is off the table. Especially not for him. UEFA sees Infantino’s actions as a gross violation of the rules of the game and speaks in its broadcast on Saturday of a shoddy, opaque deal negotiated in the backroom that he concocted and wanted to push through.

UEFA really enjoys confronting President Gianni Infantino with his own promises, which he had made in 2016 before his election as FIFA boss: “FIFA’s money is your money. It is not the FIFA President’s money,” the Swiss had announced at the time and assured: “Of course we have to be transparent.”

Not the first scandal from the FIFA President

These announcements have been with him for ten years and a few scandals later (FIFA Peace Prize to Donald Trump, lifting of the Balogun ban after telephone intervention by the US President) really blew up. “He managed to fail to keep both promises,” complains UEFA, “we cannot carry on as before.”

In fact, Gianni Infantino may have scored an own goal with his lofty plans. It is difficult to imagine that the Swiss will be able to remain in office for another period after this massive loss of trust.

Calls to resign from England

The first call to resign is already coming from the motherland of football: Infantino is “the wrong man” at the top of FIFA, explained British Prime Minister Andy Burnham.