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Six Arab football associations back Gianni Infantino ahead of FIFA presidential election
Six Arab football associations have reaffirmed their support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino as he faces mounting criticism over a private investment proposal and prepares to stand for re-election in March.
The presidents of the football associations of Qatar, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Sudan and Mauritania announced their “full support” for Infantino on Thursday, saying they trusted his leadership and his commitment to developing the game worldwide.
Their backing comes during one of the most difficult periods of Infantino’s presidency. UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF have all publicly criticised an investment plan linked to the restructuring of commercial rights for some FIFA competitions. The disagreement has also led to calls for the Swiss administrator to step down.
In a joint statement published by Reuters, the six association presidents said Arab football had an important role in bringing people together and strengthening co-operation between football bodies across the region.
They said: “We fully support Gianni Infantino and renew our confidence in his leadership and his continued commitment to developing football around the world.”
The statement also praised Infantino’s work to expand opportunities for all regions and to increase football’s ability to unite societies and communities.
“We greatly appreciate Gianni Infantino’s continuous efforts to develop football globally, expand opportunities for all regions and strengthen the role of the game in bringing together peoples and communities,” the presidents added.
They said they looked forward to continuing their co-operation with the FIFA president to help build a “stronger and more prosperous future for world football”. They also expressed support for widening opportunities and increasing the contribution of Arab football to the international game.
The announcement carries added significance because four of the six signatories are also members of the FIFA Council: Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Hany Abu Rida, Fouzi Lekjaa and Ahmed Yahya.
Infantino is preparing for the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March. The latest declaration highlights the possibility that national associations may take positions that differ from those of their respective continental confederations, particularly because each national association has one vote in the election.
The dispute surrounding Infantino centres on a proposal to separate the commercial rights to the World Cup and sell a 20% stake to private-sector investors. The plan could have generated about $4.2bn, but Infantino withdrew it after widespread criticism.
UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF had objected publicly to the way the initiative was being handled. Some Asian football associations also expressed disappointment when details of the project emerged, with their position appearing close to UEFA’s objections.
Infantino will need 106 votes to secure a simple majority if he faces only one rival. If three or more candidates stand, he would require a two-thirds majority in the first round 141 votes to guarantee victory.