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Infantino is not the right person to lead FIFA, says British PM amid private equity row
🇲🇽 Mexico /Sports

Infantino is not the right person to lead FIFA, says British PM amid private equity row

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • British Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated FIFA President Gianni Infantino is not the right person to lead world football.
  • Burnham's comments follow FIFA's abandoned plan to sell World Cup stakes to private investors, which drew widespread criticism.
  • UEFA and CONCACAF have also expressed a loss of confidence in FIFA's leadership, potentially paving the way for a challenge to Infantino's presidency.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham declared FIFA President Gianni Infantino unfit to lead the global football governing body, marking the latest fallout from a now-scrapped plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. "I don't think he is the right man to take football forward on the world stage," Burnham stated. "The plan that was put forward was offensive to many people, people in football, all around the world, and it can't be that we just move on and forget about it; it is not acceptable."

I don't think he is the right man to take football forward on the world stage. The plan that was put forward was offensive to many people, people in football, all around the world, and it can't be that we just move on and forget about it; it is not acceptable.

— Andy BurnhamThe British Prime Minister's statement on FIFA President Gianni Infantino's leadership.

UEFA, European football's governing body, previously announced it had lost confidence in FIFA's leadership, potentially opening the door for a challenge to Infantino's presidency. CONCACAF, the governing body for football in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, also indicated that FIFA's leadership had "stopped putting football first."

Infantino was compelled to reverse his controversial proposals to monetize World Cup revenues through a commercial subsidiary. The plans collapsed after all 55 UEFA member nations agreed to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions. CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation also voiced opposition.

stopped putting football first.

— CONCACAFThe governing body for football in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean's assessment of FIFA's leadership.

Despite Infantino's retreat, UEFA stated it would collaborate with other confederations to "devise a plan to ensure it cannot happen again." Burnham's remarks underscore the significant backlash generated by Infantino's proposals, even as he has garnered some public support from associations, including Qatar, the host of the 2022 World Cup. The next FIFA presidential election is scheduled for March in Rabat, Morocco, with the candidate registration deadline on November 18.

devise a plan to ensure it cannot happen again.

— UEFAUEFA's commitment to preventing future controversial proposals after the abandoned World Cup investment plan.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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