Reports have been making around that FIFA president Gianni Infantino is facing the prospect of a no-confidence motion from UEFA after world’s football governing body was forced to abandon its controversial proposal to sell a stake in the commercial rights of FIFA World Cup and other competitions.
FIFA over the past few days, has been witnessing growing scrutiny of its leadership following the withdrawal of proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise project, which had drawn strong opposition from UEFA, several continental confederations, and senior figures within FIFA itself.If the reports are to be believed, UEFA which is powered to initiate a no confidence motion is prepared to trigger an emergency against Infantino if he does not resign. With the support of 43 out of the 55 European member associations, UEFA will demand his resignation. Under FIFA’s statutes, UEFA can reportedly initiate such a motion with the backing of 43 member associations.
Welcoming the decision to scrap the proposal, UEFA, in the same tone, launched a scathing attack on the organization’s leader and governance. In a strongly worded statement, it said FIFA’s plan to sell a stake in its competitors, including the World Cup, into private hands had been unanimously rejected by its member associations and opposed by football stakeholders across the globe.
Describing the withdrawal as a victory for the whole game, UEFA also declared that football is not for sale, and thanked fans, clubs, leagues, players, national associations, confederations and political leaders who opposed the proposal.It further claimed that the current FIFA leadership had “not only lost UEFA’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family”, while accusing Infantino of failing to uphold his promises of transparency made when he was elected FIFA president in 2016.