Soccer powerbrokers in Europe, North America and Asia and believe president Gianni Infantino’s recent plan to sell an interest in the World Cup was a 鈥渇undamental breach of trust鈥� with the institutions that the sport’s global governing body serves.
In an 鈥渙pen letter to the football family鈥� revealed Monday, UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC also said that 鈥渨hen trust is broken through , when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned.鈥�
UEFA runs soccer in Europe, CONCACAF is the confederation for North, Central America and the Caribbean, and the AFC governs the sport in Asia.
The letter was co-signed by UEFA president Aleksander 膶eferin, AFC president Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani and the general secretaries of the those continental governing bodies.
鈥淔ootball is the world鈥檚 greatest shared passion. It belongs to no individual and no institution. It belongs to the players, the fans, the clubs, the member associations and every institution entrusted with safeguarding its future,鈥� the open letter said. 鈥淚t is in that spirit, as confederations representing its members, that we speak collectively today.鈥�
Infantino is facing a revolt after his failed plan to investors.
鈥淚t is not the conduct of a custodian of the game, but of one who believes the game is answerable to him,鈥� the letter said. 鈥淭hese are not the qualities football deserves in its leadership. That is why we have taken this stance: not lightly and not alone, but together, and out of duty to the game we serve.鈥�
Infantino got some support from outside the game, with U.S. President Donald in a social media post Monday night.
鈥淔IFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino,鈥� Trump posted. 鈥淗e is fantastic, having just presided over the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented. If he is gone, it will never be as successful or profitable again! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT鈥�
UEFA previously issued a the World Cup and other FIFA competitions despite for its failed plan.
Norway鈥檚 soccer federation called for Infantino to , while England’s Football Association has also withdrawn its support for Infantino鈥檚 re-election next March.
鈥淔ootball鈥檚 strength has always been its unity. We call for that unity to be honored now,鈥� the letter said. 鈥淔or leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it.鈥�
Last Wednesday, said it had apologized for errors made over the failed plan but that senior staff at a in Morocco 鈥渞eaffirmed their full support鈥� for Infantino’s presidency.
However, the nature of the meeting was also met with criticism.
鈥淔IFA鈥檚 own letter also confirms that only one elected official was present at the leadership meeting in Morocco,鈥� the open letter from the sport’s three continental federations said. 鈥淣o FIFA Council members or Member Associations were invited to participate. Only the management committee, composed of FIFA-employed senior staff, was present.鈥�
FIFA was also urged to go further than just acknowledging mistakes were made.
鈥淚t treats this as a failure of communication, when what football witnessed was a failure of judgment,鈥� the letter said. 鈥淭here remains no recognition that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup was a profound failure of judgment 鈥� not just a procedural misstep, but a fundamental breach of trust with the very institutions FIFA exists to serve.鈥�
In a statement released Saturday, against what it called a 鈥渃oncerted and ongoing effort鈥� to undermine his leadership of the organization.
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