Alkaras returns to participate in the “Vienna Games” for the first time since 2021

Influential figures in European football are moving behind the scenes to choose a candidate capable of competing with Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, in the elections scheduled for next March, amid mounting pressure on the Swiss-Italian official due to a series of controversial files.

On Thursday, the British newspaper The Telegraph quoted two informed sources as saying that secret movements are taking place within Europe to present a competing candidate before the nominations close on November 18, with care being taken to keep his identity secret to confuse Infantino’s calculations and reduce the time available to him to deal with any potential challenge.

Infantino seemed on his way to winning a new term without competition, after he gained the support of about 200 of the 211 FIFA member associations. However, his position has been subject to tremors in recent months, in light of the criticism he faced regarding his commercial plans related to the World Cup, in addition to other issues that sparked widespread controversy.

These moves come at a time when Infantino is seeking to strengthen his influence, especially in Africa, and to mobilize more support among national federations, after the chances of a number of names that were proposed to compete with him declined.

Victor Montagliani, President of the North, Central American and Caribbean Football Association, was considered the most prominent choice among Infantino's opponents in Europe, but he decided to focus on his re-election to lead his continental federation, while Nasser Al-Khelaifi, President of Paris Saint-Germain, and Lise Klavenes, President of the Norwegian Football Association, ruled out running in the race.

On the other hand, several names were mentioned as possible options, including Arsene Wenger, the former Arsenal coach and head of the football development department at FIFA, and Luis Figo, the former Portuguese national team star, along with Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation, Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, former President of the Jordanian Federation, and Michelle Kang, owner of the French Club Lyon and the Washington Spirit and London City Lionesses women’s teams.

Figo had publicly called for Infantino's resignation last August. This strengthened his presence among the names that some opponents would prefer to see confronting the current president. However, none of these figures has officially announced their candidacy, nor has it been confirmed that the candidate whom the European parties are working to attract belongs to this list.

One of the sources familiar with the movements said, in response to a question about the identity of the potential candidate: “The risks are very high,” referring to the sensitivity of the stage and the importance of keeping communications out of the limelight until arrangements are completed.

Infantino's presidency is facing additional pressure due to escalating tension with the European Football Association (UEFA), which is preparing to take legal action, according to the report, and is demanding evidence and documents for use in possible proceedings in Switzerland.

His relationship with US President Donald Trump also raised scrutiny in the United States, coinciding with the approaching midterm congressional elections on November 3.

In a related context, Michael Payne, former marketing official at the International Olympic Committee, said that the absence of a serious competitor to Infantino is still surprising, warning that his re-election will constitute new evidence of his ability to overcome political crises within world football.

Upon assuming the presidency, Infantino pledged to reform FIFA after the scandals surrounding his predecessor, Sepp Blatter, and participated in a reform committee that approved rules requiring the federation to disclose the salaries, bonuses, and financial benefits of its senior officials. However, the Telegraph report referred to recent calls for clarification regarding allegations of failure to properly disclose an additional salary amounting to 1.3 million pounds sterling.

While the identity of the potential competitor is not yet clear, the coming days appear decisive in determining whether European moves will lead to a unified nomination capable of breaking the consensus that Infantino enjoyed, or whether the FIFA president will once again succeed in containing his opponents and approaching a fourth and final term.

German Alexander Zverev reached the semi-finals of the Shanghai 1000 Masters by defeating Australian Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday in the quarter-finals.

In the round of four, Zverev will meet Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who qualified after Frenchman Arthur Jia was forced to withdraw due to injury after only 22 minutes of their match.

Zverev, the first seed in the tournament, faced a difficult test due to the speed of the Australian player in the first set, but he launched a series of wonderful forehand shots and converted a break point in the fifth game.

Despite committing a double serve error, the German saved three consecutive chances to break his serve, and maintained it, before reaping the benefits in the tenth game, where he won the first set with a distinctive backhand shot near the net.

Zverev continued his superiority in creating points during the second set, and he got a new opportunity to break serve in the seventh game, and led 4-3 after de Minaur sent the ball into the net.

The 27-year-old Australian held on for a little longer, but Zverev did not leave him any room for a comeback, as he did not lose a single point in his final service game, and decided the match with the first match point he had.

Zverev (29 years old) told the audience after the match: “It was a good match for me,” adding, “I am very satisfied with my level... This was a big improvement compared to the previous two matches.”

Zverev, who this week ensured he finished the year at the top of the world rankings for the first time in his career, needed three sets to win in his previous two matches.

In the second match, Jia was playing the biggest quarter-final of his career before he was forced to end his tournament campaign due to muscle problems.

The 21-year-old player asked for a time out for treatment when he was trailing 1-4 in the first set due to pain in the lower right side of the body. He returned to the field, but withdrew after a few minutes.

He said after the meeting, pointing to a muscle in the lower back: “This morning, during the warm-up, I felt severe pain in the psoas muscle,” which is a muscle located in the pelvic area.

He added: “I tried to undergo some treatments (...) to relieve the pain, but that was not enough.”

Jia, who will enter the list of the top 50 players in the world rankings of the Professional Players Association for the first time, continued: “I was not sure of my ability to get on the field. In the end, I wanted to try anyway, but unfortunately the pain was too severe to allow me to play to my full potential, or have a chance to win the match.”

Jia, currently ranked 56th in the world, who was participating in his first thousand-point tournament, concluded by saying: “I am very sad, but it is the best decision I could have made.” “I hope to be 100 percent ready for the next session,” he said, without specifying a date for that.

Gia reached the quarter-finals after achieving a resounding surprise by eliminating American Ben Shelton - runner-up in the US Open and third seed - in the third round.

Manchester City's 4-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain was not just the first downfall for the team's coach, Enzo Maresca, but rather reflected two completely different aspects of performance. Through a confused and helpless team before the break, and another more ferocious and convincing team after returning from the locker rooms.

In the first match on its home field since an independent committee found it guilty of 114 violations of the English Premier League’s financial rules, City seemed on its way to a severe defeat after Paris Saint-Germain took control early and led by three without a response thanks to a distinguished first half.

But things changed completely after the break.

Coach Mariska's team appeared in a different way, and put strong pressure on its guest and attacked with a high rhythm and determination that was lacking during the first half, in an attempt to return to the match.

Haaland was the headline of this uprising, after he scored two goals to become the fastest player to reach the 60-goal mark in the Champions League, achieving this achievement in only 60 matches, that is, twenty matches faster than Lionel Messi.

City continued its offensive push until the final whistle, ending the match with a number of shots nearly double what Paris Saint-Germain scored, and with a number of touches inside the opponent's penalty area that was nearly three times as high, and also exceeded the expected goals rate both at the end of the first half and at the end of the match. However, the French team was the most effective and decisive in front of goal.

Maresca told the TNT Sports network: “I think we started the match well until the first goal came (from Desiree Doue in the 13th minute), then we received the second goal (from Ousmane Dembele) just one minute later, which left a clear psychological impact on the team.”

He added: “In the second half, we were much better, and perhaps we deserved to get a better result.”

Manchester City entered the match in high spirits after its great 3-0 victory over Liverpool in the English Premier League on Sunday, and Maresca believes that his team created enough chances to avoid loss despite being three goals behind.

He said: “Even with a 3-0 deficit at halftime, and given the many chances we created in the second half, I think we deserved more. Luis Enrique told me after the match that they were very lucky today.”

He added: “You must be more effective in front of goal without losing your balance.”

This loss came amid a turbulent atmosphere that went beyond the boundaries of the stadium, after the ruling regarding financial irregularities 114 caused a major shock in the corridors of the English Premier League, and made Manchester City, in the eyes of many, the most controversial team in English football.

However, the club continues to deny any wrongdoing and has filed an appeal against the decision.

On the local level, City still leads the English Premier League table, three points behind Arsenal, before hosting Ipswich on Saturday.

When asked about his message to the team’s fans, Maresca said: “We certainly apologize for the first half performance. Another Premier League match awaits us on Saturday, and we have to keep moving forward.”