Cheferin calls on Infantino to resign

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, a Slovenian, said he is “not interested” in succeeding the Swiss-Italian Gianni Infantino, but warned that the FIFA president, who is facing mounting criticism, must resign or face a challenger for the leadership in March. Infantino has come under increasing pressure to step down as head of the global governing body of football due to his plan, later retracted, to secure private investments in FIFA tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups. At the same time, UEFA, which oversees European football, threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, while several continental and national federations have withdrawn their support for Infantino. However, Čeferin ruled out running to succeed Infantino at the helm of world football. The 58-year-old Slovenian said on the podcast “The Rest Is Politics” on Monday: “I am not interested for two reasons. The first is that I love UEFA and I love working here, and I believe that at a certain point... it’s also time to enjoy life a little.” He added: “The other reason is that my credibility would be much higher if I were not interested in this position.” Čeferin has been one of Infantino’s most prominent critics since the latter revealed his controversial plans to seek private investments in a company that manages FIFA tournaments. The Slovenian now believes that Infantino’s seemingly secure position has become threatened, as Čeferin expects the Swiss-Italian to either step down or face a challenger if he seeks re-election at the next FIFA Congress in Morocco in March 2027. Infantino, the former UEFA secretary general, enjoyed broad support from European countries when he succeeded the Swiss Sepp Blatter as FIFA president in 2016. But Čeferin, who revealed that he has not spoken to Infantino since the beginning of this crisis, stressed that the current situation is completely different. He said: “There are two options. The first is that he (Infantino) realizes he does not have support, not only political support from those with voting rights, but also political support from the football community, from the public, from players, former players, and coaches.” He continued: “The other option is to run in the elections in March, but in that case I believe he will face a competing candidate. I don’t know yet who it will be.” Canadian CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani and Bahraini AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa are considered among the most likely candidates to challenge Infantino for the position. Infantino was in the Dominican Republic over the weekend to attend meetings with local and regional football officials, although reports indicated that Montagliani had asked him not to attend a youth tournament there.