Scottish FA the latest to withdraw Infantino support

The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has officially withdrawn its support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino, citing a "lack of transparency" in his plan to sell stakes in a World Cup company to private investors.

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The Scottish FA will not be voting for Gianni Infantino. That’s in line with the UEFA position and we’ve maintained that stance throughout.

The SFA joins a growing number of European football associations, including those from Ireland, England, and Wales, that have rescinded their letters of intent to back Infantino for re-election.

SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell criticized Infantino's high public profile, stating that administrators should not be as visible as he has been. "Something has gone wrong if the focus after the most successful, the most well-supported World Cup... has now become off-the-field incidents rather than on the field," Maxwell said. He stressed that football must remain focused on the game itself and the relationship with fans.

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When you’re an administrator in football, you shouldn’t be anywhere near the camera anywhere near as often as has been the case.

Maxwell highlighted a "fall-down in governance, there's been a lack of transparency, there's been a lack of engagement with member associations." He asserted that transparency and governance need to change, and that every FIFA member association should have an equal say in the organization's running. "The game is for everybody, it’s not for individuals to make decisions and we need to be part of that process," he added.

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Something has gone wrong if the focus after the most successful, the most well-supported World Cup, that every Scotland fan who was there will be talking about for the rest of their lives, has now become off-the-field incidents rather than on the field.

Infantino faces mounting pressure, with three confederation presidents accusing him of "deception" over the private investor plan. Advocacy group FairSquare is also questioning Infantino's eligibility for re-election, pointing to a FIFA press release that suggested his previous term did not count towards the three-term limit.

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That can’t be where football should be. It’s got to be focused on the game itself and on the relationship with the fans.