Gianni Infantino may succeed in turning the page on weeks of criticism and securing a new term as president of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), in the absence of any heavyweight figure capable of posing a serious challenge to him, according to what observers told Agence France-Presse.
The Swiss lost the support of a number of federations in his bid to be re-elected for a fourth and final term, since he announced a plan to open the door to private investments in the World Cup, before quickly withdrawing from it.
However, Infantino (56 years old) still maintains a basic card of continuing support for his traditional stronghold in Africa and South America.
The plan of the FIFA Commercial Development Foundation (FFE), which was revealed in July, following the great success of the World Cup, aimed to establish a commercial company affiliated with FIFA, which would manage its most prominent tournaments, most notably the World Cup.
However, two of Infantino's most prominent critics, the Slovenian Aleksandar Ceferin, who is heading to run for a new term at the head of the European Union (UEFA), and the Canadian Victor Montagliani, who reports indicate his intention to run again for the presidency of the Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF), have become preoccupied with their electoral battles. This prompted the opponents of the FIFA president to urgently search for a serious candidate capable of competing with him in the elections scheduled for next March.
The deadline for announcing candidacy is scheduled to end on November 18.
Terence Burns, who handled the marketing strategy for two successful World Cup campaigns, said Infantino was always the favourite.
He told Agence France-Presse: “Infantino holds all the cards in the game, and this has always been the case. Any potential candidate to compete with him at this stage appears to be either waging a formal battle, or seeking to use his candidacy to conclude deals and achieve gains.”
For his part, Michael Payne, former head of marketing at the International Olympic Committee, expressed his surprise that no serious candidate has emerged yet to confront Infantino.
“Everyone is surprised,” Payne told Agence France-Presse, adding: “If he is re-elected, which seems increasingly likely, it will be a redefinition of the Houdini maneuver.”
Although the President of the Norwegian Federation, Lisa Klavenes, is considered one of the most prominent voices critical of Infantino, and has received widespread praise, she has ruled out running in the presidential race.
Even if Claviness changes her position, she will face a huge challenge in her bid to become the first woman to run for president of the body that oversees world football, following in the footsteps of Kirsty Coventry, who last year became the first woman to be elected president of the International Olympic Committee.
A source familiar with football governance affairs, who requested anonymity, told Agence France-Presse: “There were people within the management of the International Olympic Committee working to ensure the election of Coventry. This was the desire of Thomas Bach, her predecessor in the position, who wanted her to succeed him in the presidency.
The source added: “As for Lisa, she faces the exact opposite situation; “FIFA employees are likely to work to prevent her from being elected.”
However, Infantino is still far from ensuring a safe path to a new term, with his opponents resorting to legal action before American courts, as well as submitting formal complaints to committees within FIFA.
Klavinis and the Norwegian Federation highlighted three issues, united by a common thread, which is the friendly relationship between Infantino and US President Donald Trump.
A company affiliated with Josh Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, was scheduled to assume the role of the lead investor in the “Viva Commercial Development Corporation” project.
However, the same source warned that “there is no guarantee that these complaints will be taken into account.” Even if it is decided to consider it, it will take time.”
He added: “What the Infantino camp fears is that the Norwegians will resort to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) if they are not satisfied with the decision.”
But Burns believes that the greatest threat to Infantino comes from the legal moves launched by UEFA before the American courts. With the aim of reviewing documents related to the “FFE” project, in a case to which “FIFA” faces strong legal objection.
Burns said: “This issue represents a point that disturbs the peace of the scene.” If the FFE project was merely the result of a miscalculation in communication procedures and strategy, then why hide its details?
He added: “This lack of transparency is like a thorn in Infantino’s side, and its impact will not disappear with time.”
For his part, Payne believes that the absence of support from a number of major football powers, such as Spain, France and England, may harm Infantino.
He said: “Running a global sports federation requires unity. “FIFA will be on the brink of civil war, and this is a completely new situation for a governing body in the world of sports.”
On the other hand, Burns believes that the opposition will be forced, reluctantly, to reach a settlement with Infantino.
He explained that the governing football bodies prefer to avoid division, “unless, of course, there are serious criminal activities that justify this, which there is not.”
He pointed out that the other factor that may change the balance of power is the presence of “financial gains” that the federations can achieve by removing Infantino from his position. But he added, “There are no such gains either.”
Rather, Burns believes that the current path may lead to a completely opposite result, considering that it is likely to “lead, when this crisis passes, to a further concentration of power and influence in the hands of Infantino.”
