Now Reading: Luis Figo demands Infantino resign, FIFA defends president
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Luis Figo demands Infantino resign, FIFA defends president
FIFA has hit back at what it calls a 'concerted effort' to undermine President Gianni Infantino, after former Portugal captain Luis Figo called for his immediate resignation. Figo accused Infantino of lying,…
The Story in Brief
FIFA has hit back at what it calls a 'concerted effort' to undermine President Gianni Infantino, after former Portugal captain Luis Figo called for his immediate resignation. Figo accused Infantino of lying, deceiving the football community and feathering his own nest. FIFA dismissed the allegations as 'unsubstantiated' and 'demonstrably false', and said critics should use democratic processes rather than 'allegation, insinuation or misinformation'.
The revolt follows the collapse of Infantino's plan to sell a 20% stake in a new FIFA commercial subsidiary for $4.2 billion. UEFA led the opposition, with all 55 member associations threatening to boycott the World Cup. Infantino has apologised for the proposal but retains backing from South American and African confederations. He intends to stand for re-election in 2027.
The Indian Opinion
The Infantino saga has two familiar narratives: that he is a power-drunk autocrat, and that his critics are running a smear campaign because they lost a commercial battle. Both sides have a point, but neither tells the whole story. The failed FFE plan was indeed badly handled, but the coordinated revolt by UEFA looks as much about turf war as principle. The real test will be the 2027 presidential election: if Infantino still commands the 211 member associations, the noise from Europe will stay just that.
Sources (2): hindustantimes.com, hindustantimes.com (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
