French soccer federation won’t support Infantino’s FIFA re-election bid

The French Football Federation withdrew its support for Gianni Infantino’s bid for another term as FIFA president on Thursday after his controversial plan to sell stakes in the World Cup.

The FFF said the executive committee decision was unanimous.

The FIFA presidential election is scheduled for March.

“Whilst support had initially been given to the FIFA president, who was then the sole candidate for his own succession, the conditions for that support are no longer met,” the FFF said.

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“A series of events directly involving FIFA’s governance and its president, and in direct conflict with the fundamental principles of good governance and the values of football, occurred after the FFF expressed its support on June 29.”

The French cited Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity for US$4.2-billion. FIFA withdrew the proposal on Aug. 1, just days after it was made public, following intense pushback.

“Today, whilst this project has been definitively abandoned thanks to a concerted response within UEFA in conjunction with several other confederations, the issue of FIFA’s governance cannot be considered resolved,” the FFF insisted. It added Infantino’s recent initiatives have “seriously damaged the image and unity of football.”

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UEFA has led the calls for Infantino to go, saying it lost confidence in him and previously threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup. Several national associations, including England, have withdrawn support for Infantino’s re-election.

FIFA said on Sunday that Infantino plans to stand again in next year’s elections for a final term in office through 2031.

The FFF called for a far-reaching reform of FIFA’s governance and said it will launch consultations with leading French and international figures.

“The aim of these consultations,” it said, “will be to foster collective reflection and to draw up proposals for a far-reaching transformation of FIFA’s governance, with a view to restoring confidence, enhancing transparency and ensuring the independence and exemplary conduct of world football’s governing body.”