The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has thrown its weight behind Gianni Infantino’s bid for a fourth term as FIFA president, despite criticism for the fiasco of his own FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal. The FIFA president was subjected to calls for his resignation three months ago following the failure to get support for a plan to sell a stake in FIFA’s tournaments, including the World Cup.
But his job has since been endorsed by big football federations and boosted his profile ahead of the next presidential contest. On Friday, AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa welcomed Infantino after the Swiss-Italian administrator met the football representatives from Asia and Africa. The Asian confederation had wholeheartedly accepted him, while the football associations of Africa had also supported his leadership, Infantino said.
The 56-year-old rejected the notion that he was thinking of stepping down and stated that FIFA’s 211 member associations should be given equal votes and a say on the organisation’s future. He recognised that there was some disagreement within football but insisted that “the democratic process must be respected and all views must be listened to. The AFC, UEFA and CONCACAF, representing North America, Central America and the Caribbean, had previously criticised the proposal for the FFE.
The following divisions have revealed disputes between the football authorities about the direction of FIFA’s business. The Italians also apologized at a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich last week, but they failed to ease fears among UEFA clubs, such as Germany and England. The FIFA president is asking to serve another term till 2031. These are important deadlines in the election process, and candidates need to submit their nominations by November 18.
