By Sabiu Abdullahi
Fresh speculation has emerged over who could succeed Gianni Infantino as FIFA president, as reports suggest efforts to remove the football governing body’s long-serving leader are gathering momentum.
Sky News reported that moves against Infantino are “accelerating” and that there is “a determined effort” to oust him from office after a sharp decline in support following his failed attempt to sell a stake in the FIFA World Cup to private investors.
According to the report, possible successors include CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani and Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
The report also stated that UEFA has intensified consultations with several football associations, including the English Football Association, as it seeks support for a new candidate to replace Infantino.
Infantino’s proposal to bring private investors into the World Cup project reportedly met stiff resistance from UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The opposition eventually brought the plan to an end.
Following that setback, UEFA has reportedly taken the lead in efforts to challenge Infantino’s leadership. The campaign, which was initially expected to strengthen his position ahead of a possible fourth term in office, is now said to have weakened his standing.
Sky News reiterated that the campaign against the FIFA president is “accelerating” and described it as “a determined effort” to remove him from office. The report further claimed that it is no longer a question of whether Infantino will leave office, but when it will happen.
One option under consideration is persuading Infantino to resign from the position he has occupied for 10 years. If that fails, supporters of the move could seek an emergency FIFA congress. Under FIFA rules, 43 of the organisation’s 211 member associations would have to request such a meeting before a vote of no confidence could be initiated.
Another strategy involves backing a rival candidate in the next FIFA presidential election. TalkSPORT reported that UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has appealed to football federations that previously endorsed Infantino for a fourth term, including the English FA, asking them to withdraw their support.
