After DFB boss Bernd Neuendorf, league president Hans-Joachim Watzke has also called for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to be replaced. “He should go. No ifs or buts,” said Watzke at the “Big Bang KI Festival” in Berlin, citing three main points of criticism of the Swiss: the awarding of the so-called FIFA Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump. The suspension of the ban for US striker Folarin Balogun at the World Cup. And Infantino’s withdrawn plan to sell World Cup rights to private investors from Trump’s environment for billions.
“Completely insane,” Watzke called it. “Nobody knows that, his vice presidents in FIFA knew nothing, the Council knew nothing.” A soccer World Cup runs “like hot cakes,” said Watzke. “Why do you want investors? You don’t need them at all. FIFA is sitting on a huge mountain of money that actually belongs to us, the national associations, and then what investors for? Why should I give them 20 or 30 percent when the thing is running?”
More and more Infantino opponents in Europe
Since the investors’ plans became known, Infantino has been in the biggest crisis of his more than ten-year tenure at the helm of the world football association. The 56-year-old Swiss would like to run for re-election in 2027. Above all, the European Football Union UEFA wants to prevent another election victory.
The 67-year-old Watzke sits on the UEFA Executive Committee and is also President of Borussia Dortmund, DFB Vice President, Chairman of the Bundesliga Supervisory Board and League President of the Bundesliga eV. State associations such as the French, Italians and Dutch have already opposed Infantino. And DFB President Neuendorf also said in an interview with RTL/ntv: It is “important that this Infantino system is also ended.”