UEFA, AFC and Concacaf accuse Gianni Infantino of failing football leadership

UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Concacaf have launched a strong criticism of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, accusing his leadership of failing to uphold accountability, transparency and trust in the governance of world football.In an open letter signed by UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, AFC president Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa and Concacaf president Victor Montagliani, the three confederations questioned the way Infantino and FIFA handled a controversial proposal involving the commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup.The confederations said football leadership should be viewed as a duty of service rather than an opportunity to accumulate power.”Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding, or demanding, power to be held. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it,” the letter stated.They accused Infantino’s administration of failing to properly consult FIFA’s 211 member associations before advancing the proposal.The confederations said FIFA’s explanation that the controversy resulted from a “failure of communication” did not go far enough, arguing that the process represented a failure of judgement.They also criticised the attempt to advance the proposal on a compressed timeline, saying member associations were not given enough opportunity to properly examine its terms before a deadline.The three confederations further argued that FIFA had failed to acknowledge the seriousness of attempting to sell an interest in the World Cup.”It did not acknowledge that the proposal itself was inherently wrong,” they said, describing the move as a “profound failure of judgement” and a breach of trust with the institutions FIFA is meant to serve.The confederations also called for an independent investigation into the controversy, insisting that FIFA itself should not conduct the review.”Proper governance in the face of such a profound lack of judgement would require that such a review be conducted by a fully independent third party,” the letter stated.They also raised concerns about a recent FIFA leadership meeting in Morocco, claiming that no FIFA Council members or member associations were invited and that only FIFA-employed senior management officials attended.The confederations said the meeting reinforced their concerns about the manner in which Infantino’s administration is conducting its affairs.”There is silence where there should be accountability, distance where there should be openness,” they wrote.The three confederations stressed that football’s growth, including the expansion of tournaments, the awarding of the 2030 and 2034 World Cups and the distribution of resources to member associations, has been achieved collectively.They called for that principle to remain at the centre of FIFA’s leadership.”Football’s strength has always been its unity. We call for that unity to be honoured now, for leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it.”



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