The FIFA president is coming under fire following failed plans to sell shares in the World Cup and the Club World Cup.
The president of the Spanish La Liga, Javier Tebas, has hit out at both Gianni Infantino and FIFA amid growing pressure on the leader of football’s governing body. There are calls for him to resign after the failed plans to sell shares in the World Cup.
The plans faced a huge backlash, with UEFA threatening to boycott tournaments should the plans go through. While they have now been scrapped, Infantino has refused to step down from his role, with FIFA claiming he has their ‘full support‘.
Both the Football Association and the Welsh FA are among those to formally withdraw their support for Infantino ahead of the FIFA elections in March next year. To win the election, he needs the support of 106 of the 211 associations, which looks far from certain.
La Liga chief Tebas is the latest to speak out against the FIFA president. Speaking to Le Monde he didn’t hold back on his thoughts.
“What is happening does not surprise me. What does surprise me is the reaction of many people who remained silent for years,” he said.
“This episode is only the tip of the iceberg of what has been going on within an institution, FIFA, but also more broadly in football, where there are no real governance policies. And the problem is not limited to one person: It is about an entire system.
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“The old system can persist even when the people change. Let’s hope things truly change, that a new leader arrives, and that new governance is established at FIFA.”
Speaking specifically about Infantino, he added: “For me, Gianni Infantino’s time has long since passed. I’m not saying this because of recent events; I have noticed this style of management for a long time, though everyone else seems to be discovering it only now.
“Look at the organisation of the Club World Cup, what happened in the effort to make it profitable… Decisions were made without key stakeholders in football – the leagues – even being informed. That is how things have been managed for years.
“And I have not forgotten the Super League episode, where Gianni Infantino appeared in the working documents of the league’s promoters. In fact, there are connections: Some of the same actors from that time are now involved in the FIFA Forward Enterprise project.
“Gianni Infantino is not someone who contributes to the growth of football. On the contrary, his projects are destroying the very essence of the sport: the national leagues.
“Football is not limited to the elite. For me, the Infantino era is over.
“What remains to be seen is when that will take effect and how the succession will unfold. I hope it is not just a matter of swapping out some people for others, but of a genuine overhaul.”
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