Former Danish sports chief backs Canadian as Infantino successor

Gianni Infantino is likely to ride out the pressure surrounding his FIFA presidency until the organization’s next election in March, according to Niels Nygaard, a former head of the Danish Sports Confederation and former vice president and interim president of the European Olympic Committee.

Nygaard said many countries still support Infantino and do not see a major problem with what he described as the FIFA president’s dictatorial behavior. He said the outlook could change if a criminal case set off a chain reaction, although investigations and any subsequent trial would take time.

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There are still many countries that support Infantino, and that do not see a major problem with him behaving like a dictator, so I think he will ride out the storm until March.

Several major media outlets, including The Times and The Telegraph, have reported that UEFA is considering legal action over plans to sell stakes in FIFA tournaments. Nygaard doubts the European confederation would succeed in court. Instead, he said UEFA and the other continental confederations should focus on finding a candidate capable of defeating Infantino at the election.

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There is no doubt that very intensive work is taking place.

That effort is already under way within all six regional confederations, with UEFA leading the work, as well as in smaller groups such as the Nordic countries. Nygaard said these groups are discussing both the strategy for removing Infantino and the identity of a challenger. No one has formally declared a candidacy so far.

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter proposed in August that Norway’s Lise Klaveness should seek the presidency. Klaveness has repeatedly and prominently criticized Infantino, but Nygaard called her candidacy exciting and unrealistic. He said it would bring major renewal to FIFA, yet questioned whether she could build enough support because her plans may be too groundbreaking and many senior officials would not vote for a woman.

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It would be a huge renewal for FIFA, but I doubt that she would be able to gather support.

Nygaard said a European candidate could also divide support by encouraging Asian and South American countries to argue that Europe already controls too much. He therefore pointed to Victor Montagliani, the Canadian president of Concacaf and a FIFA vice president, as the best option for assembling enough votes. Montagliani is outside Europe but shares many of the same values, Nygaard said, while acknowledging that some Asian countries might reject a candidate from the Western world. He also mentioned the president of the Asian Football Confederation as another possible alternative, but the source ends before naming him.

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It is a good option because he is outside Europe but shares many of the same values.