Infantino Under Pressure to Step Down as FIFA President

The failure of plans to sell the commercial rights to the World Cup has raised serious questions about the future of FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The head of Europe’s professional football leagues, Claudius Schaefer, has made it clear that Infantino’s continued role is unacceptable.

Infantino admitted on Friday that FIFA had scrapped the plan, following a strong outcry from regional bodies. On Saturday, European football’s governing body UEFA and North and Central America’s CONCACAF said they had lost confidence in Infantino as president.

“The way the whole thing has come to light and the way the main bodies of FIFA have been bypassed is unbelievable,” Schaefer said in an interview with the Swiss newspaper Zontagszeitung. “If something like this happens in any institution or organization, it can only have one consequence.”

Asked whether he was demanding Infantino’s resignation, he said, “When the head of an organization carries out such business without informing anyone, then according to the general rules, resignation is the only consequence.”

Schaefer, who also serves as the chief executive of the Swiss Football League, alleged that FIFA’s main goal has become to provide financial benefits to third parties, which will lead to an increase in the number of matches in the future, which will put additional pressure on professional leagues and players.

“Only financial gain is being considered here, everything else is completely ignored,” said Schaefer.

He added, “Nobody knew about this plan, not even the FIFA policy-making council. I am really surprised to see how the FIFA president went this far with a decision made entirely alone.”