Ceferin Tells Infantino to Remember He's European
Aleksander Ceferin, the president of UEFA, has told Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, to remember that he is European. Ceferin made the comments in an interview, criticizing Infantino's plan to sell off a stake in the World Cup.
UEFA Opposes FIFA's Plan to Sell World Cup Stake
Earlier this month, FIFA announced plans to create a new company, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), to manage the commercial and ticketing rights of all FIFA competitions. However, 21% of the company would be sold to a private investment company, a move that UEFA strongly opposes. UEFA members voted to boycott World Cups unless the plan was scrapped, and the European football governing body has since lost confidence in Infantino.
"I think this plan is even worse than the Super League plan," Ceferin told the Rest is Politics podcast. "Super important clubs wanted to do their own league, which is wrong, and would destroy football. But in this case, football would be literally sold."
European Super League Comparison
Ceferin compared Infantino's plan to the failed European Super League proposal, which would have seen top European clubs break away from UEFA's Champions League. The plan was widely criticized and eventually abandoned in 2021. Ceferin said that UEFA had no prior knowledge of Infantino's plan and that he learned about it through the media while on holiday with his family.
"He didn't contact me since this happened," Ceferin said. "They [FIFA] play on, you know, 'arrogant Europe is against us: They have enough money, but I help the small and the poor.' But I think someone should remind him that he is a European, and that he was supported by UEFA, which he forgot."
FIFA's Relationship with Infantino Under Scrutiny
Infantino, who worked at UEFA for 16 years and served as general secretary for 9, has been facing increasing pressure over his relationship with United States President Donald Trump. Trump revealed that he had personally called Infantino to request that a red-card suspension for US striker Folarin Balogun be lifted, allowing him to play in his side's defeat to Belgium in the last 16 of this summer's World Cup.
"That was more than shocking," Ceferin said. "We have rules, and if you don't respect your own rules, then the game doesn't make any sense." Ceferin also criticized Infantino for not contacting him about the plan, saying that it was "shocking" and "almost everybody was shocked. Just not everybody dared to speak."
Ceferin Rules Out Running for FIFA President
Ceferin has confirmed that he will not run for FIFA president at the FIFA Congress in March 2027, when Infantino will seek a fourth term. "I'm not interested for two reasons," Ceferin said. "One reason is that I love UEFA and I love working here, and I think that at a certain point it's time also to enjoy life a bit. And the second point is, my credibility is much, much, much higher if I'm not interested in the position."
Infantino has been flying around the world in search of public support, meeting with Caribbean Football Union members in the Dominican Republic and attending the E-Sports World Cup in Paris. However, Ceferin's comments are likely to further undermine Infantino's position, and it remains to be seen how FIFA will respond to the criticism.
Source: Joy Online
