Aleksander Ceferin, the head of UEFA, has stated that he is “not interested” in replacing Gianni Infantino, but he has cautioned the underdog FIFA president that he must resign or face a leadership challenge.
Due to his now-abandoned plan to gain private funding in FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup, Infantino is under mounting pressure to resign as head of the world football governing body.
Several continental and national federations have withdrawn their support for Infantino, and UEFA, which is in charge of European football, has threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments.
However, Ceferin disqualified himself from running for Infantino’s position. The 58-year-old Slovenian stated on Monday on The Rest is Politics podcast, “I’m not interested because of two reasons.”
“One reason is that I love UEFA and I love working here, and I think that at a certain point… it’s time to also enjoy life a bit.
“And the second point is, my credibility is much, much higher if I’m not interested in the position.”
Since Infantino disclosed his contentious intentions to look for private investment in a business to operate FIFA tournaments, Ceferin has been outspoken in his disapproval.
Ceferin predicts that if Infantino runs for reelection at the upcoming FIFA Congress in Morocco in March, the Swiss will either have to resign or face a leadership challenge. He now feels that Infantino’s formerly unbeatable position is in jeopardy.
When Infantino, a former secretary general of UEFA, took over as FIFA president in 2016, he enjoyed the support of many European countries.
However, Ceferin claimed that the current situation was very different, disclosing that he has not spoken to Infantino since the beginning of the crisis.
“There are two options,” he said.
“One option is that he (Infantino) realizes that he doesn’t have the support, and that’s not only political support of the ones who vote but also the political support of the football community, the political support of fans, and the political support of the players, former players, and coaches.
“And the second option is that he goes to the elections in March, but in that case I think he will have a candidate against him. I don’t know yet who.”
Sheik Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa, the head of the AFC, and Victor Montagliani, the president of CONCACAF, are regarded as two of Infantino’s most potential rivals.
Despite Montagliani allegedly requesting that Infantino avoid a youth competition in the Dominican Republic, Infantino spent the weekend there for discussions with local and regional football leaders.
The 56-year-old Infantino seemed to allude to the controversy surrounding him in video comments made public by FIFA on Sunday.
“It’s important to engage, to have a dialogue, to express views and opinions,” he said.
“A lot has been happening the last few weeks, and it’s important that you hear, you listen, and you’re able to also express what your feelings are.
“So I think overall positive, very, very happy with all the support I get here.”
