UEFA said its participating members could still boycott FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, despite Gianni Infantino’s apology for his failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup.
Following a meeting of senior FIFA leadership in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday, the governing body acknowledged that “mistakes were made” over the proposal but “reaffirmed their full support” for Infantino’s presidency.
UEFA’s member nations had announced their decision to boycott all FIFA tournaments in the immediate aftermath of FIFA’s World Cup privatization plans, and said Thursday they stand by their stance.
“UEFA’s associations were very clear about the conditions attached to the non participation in FIFA competitions,” UEFA said in a statement. “First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and secondly, assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again.
“These conditions have not been met. In addition, UEFA made it abundantly clear in its statement on Saturday that it has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino’s presidency. That position holds.”
It was another bruising day for Infantino, with global soccer players union FIFPRO accusing him of “a profound abuse of presidential power.”
The English Football Association has also withdrawn its support for Infantino’s re-election.
Even Amnesty International said the “current crisis spotlights the need for governance reforms.”
Infantino did receive backing from Africa’s governing body later on Thursday. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said in a statement that its executive committee “unanimously reconfirmed its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino and thanked him for his support for African Football, over the years.”
CAF president Patrice Motsepe added that the organisation “unanimously endorsed” FIFA’s statement following Wednesday’s meeting.
FIFA — and Infantino — tried to present a united front following the summit in Morocco when it announced the president had the full support of top staff in attendance.
The world governing body also apologised for errors made over its controversial plan to sell profits in the World Cup through a commercial subsidiary and committed to “ensure they do not happen again.”
FIFA said it hoped its meeting would “help restore confidence” in the organization after the turbulence created by Infantino’s now abandoned project, which provoked widespread condemnation.
UEFA voted to abandon FIFA competitions if it went ahead. And even after Infantino’s hasty climbdown, Europe’s governing body said it had lost confidence in FIFA’s leadership — paving the way for a challenge to his presidency.
In its defiant statement, UEFA made it clear its position still held.
“Yesterday’s announcement that some people employed by the FIFA president (and whose careers depend on his favor) agree with him changes nothing,” it said.
FIFA’s proposal had been rejected by North America’s soccer body Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
FIFA eventually scrapped its plans to sell off the World Cup, with leading figures in the organization including Arsène Wenger and CEO-like secretary general Mattias Grafström also distancing themselves from the plan.
However, Grafström was among the FIFA leadership group that threw their support behind Infantino on Thursday amid calls for him to step down.–ESPN
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
