The Italian Football Federation has joined the group of countries withdrawing their endorsement for FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The FIGC announced on Wednesday that it no longer supports Infantino’s bid for reelection in March due to concerns about his recent governance and international competition development efforts.
Infantino has faced mounting pressure to resign following his now-scrapped proposal to sell shares of the World Cup to private equity investors. Three continental confederations in the sport accused him of deceit, and UEFA, the European football governing body, threatened to boycott FIFA events.
FIGC President Giovanni Malagò stated, “We will collaborate with UEFA and other European federations to advocate for a soccer model based on merit, solidarity, sustainability, and fan engagement. We believe in a dialogue-driven approach that has fostered soccer’s growth, innovation, and preservation of core values.”
England, Wales, and Ireland football federations had previously withdrawn support for Infantino’s reelection, with Norway also urging him to step down alongside five other Nordic countries. Infantino, in office since 2016, faced little opposition for reelection in Morocco next year until the backlash over his proposals emerged. FIFA has set a deadline of November 18 for potential challengers to come forward.
While some of FIFA’s member federations continue to back Infantino, including the co-hosts of the 2030 World Cup, Morocco, and Qatar, where he resided before the 2022 World Cup, others like Saudi Arabia, the 2034 host, have not publicly supported him despite their political ties.
Meanwhile, UEFA is expected to retract its boycott threat of FIFA competitions following assurances that Infantino will not revive the failed World Cup sell-off plan. The decision is anticipated to be made during UEFA’s member federations meeting in Monaco, allowing European teams to participate in upcoming tournaments.
Infantino faced global criticism last month over his $20 billion subsidiary proposal involving FIFA’s commercial rights, prompting a swift withdrawal of the plan amidst opposition from UEFA, the AFC, and CONCACAF, among others. UEFA had expressed distrust in Infantino’s leadership, signaling intentions to prevent his reelection in March 2023.