politics
The Guardian view on Gianni Infantino: in the interests of the game he professes to love, he should go
The Fifa president’s attempt to brazen out the storm, after attempting to sell a stake in the World Cup to private equity, adds insult to injury
TL;DR
- Gianni Infantino's leadership of Fifa since 2016 has been criticized for prioritizing monetization over sporting interests.
- Leaked plans to sell a stake in the World Cup to private equity, with potential personal enrichment for Infantino, have severely damaged his credibility.
- Infantino issued a partial apology, stating the project "could have been handled differently," but critics argue the plan itself was inherently flawed.
- Despite condemnation from senior Fifa figures, football legends like Arsène Wenger and Luís Figo, Infantino is resisting calls to resign.
- European football's governing body, Uefa, has expressed a loss of confidence in Infantino's presidency.
- Norway has become the first federation to directly call for Infantino's resignation, threatening a boycott of Fifa competitions.
- Concerns are raised about Infantino's past controversies, including the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar and Fifa's suspension of 'inconvenient red cards'.
- If Infantino is not removed, the global game risks descending into an 'ugly civil war'.