Infantino Says 211 Backing Him After Asian Endorsement for Fourth Term
FIFA's president dismissed resignation talk in a BBC interview after Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa backed his bid for another term.
By Gabriel Qureshi ·
Gianni Infantino says every one of FIFA's 211 member associations supports his bid for a fourth term, dismissing questions about his future after the Asian Football Confederation endorsed him on Friday. "I was elected by 211 member associations from all over the world," he told the BBC, laughing when asked whether he had considered resigning.
The pressure on his position grew from the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, a plan to bring private investment into a new entity controlling commercial rights around major FIFA competitions. Infantino dropped the proposal, and calls for him to step down followed about three months ago. Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the Asian Football Confederation president, said Asia stands united behind Infantino, and Infantino said African nations gave their backing during a visit to Cape Europe. [sic: Cape Verde]
European associations have not come around. UEFA and CONCACAF joined the Asian body in criticizing the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal before the AFC reversed course, leaving Europe without other confederations alongside it. Germany and England were among the associations that stayed cool after Infantino apologized at a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich last week for how the proposal was handled. No alternative candidate has emerged for the presidency.
Infantino, 56, is a Swiss-Italian administrator seeking a fourth term that would run to 2031. Nominations close on November 18. He said different views exist inside FIFA but that people who believe in equal votes for every nation must also accept "the vast, vast majority."
"It's OK to disagree," he said, "but then we need to be able to move on." He said it is not always easy to bring differing views together, and that he respects all opinions. The member associations will decide who leads FIFA and how it is run.
The AFC endorsement came after criticism of the proposal from European and North and Central American bodies. Infantino said he has been speaking with associations across the world.
Source: Al Jazeera
