By Desmond Nleya
DUBAI- FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing mounting pressure over his leadership following the collapse of a controversial proposal to sell a stake in the commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup.
The criticism comes from Claudius Schafer, president of the European Leagues, an organisation representing 53 professional men’s and women’s football leagues across Europe. Schafer suggested that Infantino’s handling of the proposal had seriously undermined confidence in his leadership.
Speaking to Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung, Schafer said that advancing such a significant commercial deal without consulting FIFA’s governing structures would normally have serious consequences in any organisation.
“When I saw how this whole thing unfolded and that FIFA’s key bodies weren’t involved, then there’s essentially only one consequence in any company or association,” Schafer said.
Asked whether this made Infantino’s position as FIFA president untenable, Schafer responded that leaders are usually held accountable when they pursue major business decisions without the knowledge or approval of their governing bodies.
The controversy follows FIFA’s decision on Friday to abandon the proposed sale after widespread opposition from football stakeholders. Regional governing bodies UEFA and CONCACAF subsequently announced they had lost confidence in Infantino’s leadership.
Schafer argued that the proposal reflected FIFA’s growing focus on expanding competitions primarily for commercial gain, warning that it would further congest an already demanding international football calendar.
He said Europe’s domestic leagues remain firmly opposed to any expansion that would increase the number of matches at the expense of national competitions.
Schafer also expressed surprise that even members of the FIFA Council—the organisation’s main governing body—were reportedly unaware of the proposal before it became public.
“Nobody knew about the plans, not even the FIFA Council,” he said. “I was very surprised that the president was acting completely alone in this matter.”
