The opposition front against FIFA President Gianni Infantino is expanding, and this time the voice came from Greece, which clearly announced the withdrawal of its support for his candidacy for a new term at the helm of FIFA.
President of the Greek Federation, Makis Gagatsis, said, after the European Union Executive Committee meeting in Thessaloniki, that his country had taken a clear position against Infantino’s candidacy, pointing to events that took place at the World Cup and were not, according to his description, acceptable to football public opinion.
But the biggest dispute erupted over Infantino’s project to sell a commercial stake linked to FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup, to private investors. This plan sparked widespread opposition before FIFA retracted it and apologized for the errors that accompanied it.
The Greek position reinforces UEFA’s move to demand a change in FIFA’s leadership, after several European federations, including France, withdrew their support for Infantino. The AFC and CONCACAF also joined the calls for change.
But bringing down Infantino will not be easy; According to Reuters, he still enjoys strong support in Africa, South America and Oceania, and currently has enough votes to win a new term.
As the March 2027 elections approach, the question remains: Will Europe succeed in finding a competitor capable of turning the wave of anger into an actual end to the Infantino era?
On Tuesday, Lance announced his separation from coach Dino Topmüller after only 6 matches with the club competing in the French Premier League.
He said in a statement: “In the spirit of mutual respect, FC Lens and Dino Topmüller announce the termination of their cooperation by mutual consent.”
The club explained that it held extensive discussions with Topmüller about the team’s lineup and the organization of its coaching staff before notifying him of its desire to restructure the technical staff.
The French club added: “Because Dino Topmüller did not agree to these administrative changes, the club’s management decided, based on its sense of responsibility, to separate from him as well as his two assistants.”
Saudi international Saud Abdul Hamid has been playing for Lens since last season, but he missed the last four matches due to injury.
German Topmüller (45 years old) was appointed in June after coach Pierre Sage left to coach Crystal Palace, competing in the English Premier League, after leading Lens to win a historic title in the French Cup and finish the local league in second place.
The German coach, whose contract ran until 2028, began his career with a surprise 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the French Super Cup last month.
But in the French League, Lance won once in the first 4 matches and began his journey in the Champions League with an exciting 3-2 victory over host Slavia Prague.
The team occupies tenth place in the French League standings, and will visit Monaco on Friday, where Yannick Kayuzak, who was Topmüller’s assistant, will take over the leadership of the team.
News reports said on Tuesday that young striker Saeed Al-Mulla may make his debut with the German national team within Jurgen Klopp's first squad, while veteran goalkeeper Oliver Baumann will not join.
Kicker sports magazine said that Al-Mulla, who is of Lebanese origin, will be among the players that Klopp will nominate on Thursday to participate in the European Nations League matches against the Netherlands, Serbia and Greece (twice) in the period between September 24 and October 4.
Al-Mulla, a 20-year-old Cologne player, was among the national team’s squad in two World Cup qualifiers last fall under the leadership of former coach Julian Nagelsmann, but he was excluded after the first match, and was not included in the World Cup either.
As for Baumann (36 years old), he participated in all the qualifying matches and two friendly matches in March due to the injury of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but he was only the second choice in the World Cup after Manuel Neuer returned from retirement to participate in the tournament.
Bild newspaper reported that Klopp, who succeeded Nagelsmann after his team was eliminated in the round of 32 in the World Cup, would not include Baumann, the Hoffenheim goalkeeper, in his roster.
