UEFA’s Aleksander Ceferin says Gianni Infantino could face election challenger, rules out FIFA bid

LONDON – UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin has said he is “not interested” in replacing Gianni Infantino, but has warned that the under-fire FIFA president must either quit or face a leadership challenge in March.

Infantino has come under increasing pressure to step down as the head of world football’s global governing body over his now-abandoned plan to secure private investment in FIFA tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups.

UEFA, which oversees the running of European football, has threatened a boycott of FIFA competitions, with several continental and national federations also withdrawing their support for Infantino.

But Ceferin ruled himself out of a bid to take Infantino’s place as the chief of world football.

The 58-year-old Slovenian on Aug 24 told The Rest Is Politics podcast: “I’m not interested because of two reasons. One reason is that I love UEFA and I love working here, and I think that at a certain point... It’s time to also enjoy life a bit.

“And the second point is, my credibility is much, much higher if I’m not interested in the position.”

Ceferin has been vocal in his criticism since Infantino revealed his controversial plans to seek private investment in a company to run FIFA tournaments.

He now believes Infantino’s previously impregnable position is under threat, with Ceferin forecasting that the Swiss will have to stand down or face a leadership challenge if he seeks re-election at the next FIFA Congress in Morocco in March 2027.

The 56-year-old, a former UEFA secretary-general, had the broad backing of European nations when he succeeded Sepp Blatter as FIFA president in 2016.

But Ceferin, who revealed he has not spoken to Infantino since the start of the controversy, insisted that the current situation is very different.

“There are two options,” he said. “One option is that he (Infantino) realises that he doesn’t have the support, and that’s not only political support of the ones who vote, but the political support of the football community, the political support of fans, the political support of the players, former players, coaches.

“And the second option is that he goes to the election in March, but in that case, I think he will have a candidate against him. I don’t know yet who.”

CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) boss Sheikh Salman Ebrahim al-Khalifa are considered two of the most likely challengers for Infantino’s position. Sources familiar with the process told Reuters last week that UEFA, the AFC and CONCACAF were considering a third option – a vote of no confidence in the FIFA president ahead of the ballot in March 2027.

Infantino is refusing to back down, having laid out his manifesto for re-election as the champion of poorer football nations on Aug 23.

In a video interview released by FIFA after he met members of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) in the Dominican Republic at the weekend, Infantino said it was FIFA’s job to close the gap between wealthy and poorer associations.

“We want to grow football in every one of our 211 countries in the world,” he said.

“We need to find investments for all the others – opportunities for all the others. This is about, indeed, finding and giving opportunities, access and resources to world football.

“Some, unfortunately, don’t need and they don’t want that others grow, but we need to narrow this gap between the big, big countries and all the others.

“That’s what we have been trying to do in the last 10 years and also in the last 10 weeks, and what we will be continuing to do in the next years.”

Infantino, who has support from the African and South American regional blocs, has looked to sideline the confederations and appeal directly to individual members throughout the crisis.

CFU forms part of CONCACAF and Infantino said he had been very happy with how he had been received on the sidelines of an Under-14 tournament in the Dominican Republic.

Montagliani had asked Infantino to stay away from the tournament, saying his presence would overshadow the football.

Infantino said the tournament, which was funded by FIFA development money, was an example of the sort of work the governing body had done under his stewardship.

Under FIFA rules, the vote of San Marino, whose men’s team are ranked 211th and last in the world rankings, counts as much as that of World Cup winners Brazil, Germany, Argentina and Spain. AFP, REUTERS