Senior European football figures met in Salzburg ahead of the UEFA Super Cup to discuss the FIFA crisis, talkSPORT understands.
This included a meeting between UEFA president Alexander Ceferin and European Football Clubs chair Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
The pair were pictured alongside each other as Al-Khelaifi’s Paris Saint-Germain beat Aston Villa 2-1. And perhaps more significantly, Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe was also in attendance.
talkSPORT understands constructive talks took place with Ceferin stressing the need for a change of leadership and governance within FIFA, including discussions at a pre-match lunch at Red Bull’s famed Hangar-7 museum.
Talks have been described by multiple sources as positive with UEFA intent on holding Infantino to account for the failure of FIFA Forward Enterprise, and accepting nothing less than his immediate resignation or the withdrawal of his candidacy ahead of March’s election.
talkSPORT understands Ceferin is even prepared to spearhead a vote of no confidence, that requires backing from 43 members to trigger an emergency vote, if Infantino continues to fight on.
It is viewed by many as a logical next step, and a more practical one than a boycott.
Which candidate is UEFA likely to back as Infantino’s replacement?
UEFA are also prepared to back other candidates to stand against Infantino with CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani and Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa potential options.
As of now, UEFA has not collectively recommend or supported any one candidate.
Al-Khelaifi would also be a popular choice as FIFA president, but said after PSG’s win he’s ‘very happy’ as PSG president.
Although Gianni Infantino has firm backing in Africa, and a few Asian federations on side, FIFA could essentially come to a gridlock without UEFA support. A boycott of FIFA competitions, potentially starting with the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, is just one option UEFA are considering.
Refusing to engage with key FIFA meetings and even breaking away via a joint UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC venture are all under discussion.
4
The EFC is also a key player in all this as the body represents over 850 European clubs.
The EFC is a firm ally of UEFA, both generally and on the topic of how FIFA should be governed going forward.
Several insiders argue that any governance shake-up of FIFA should include a greater voice for clubs in global football matters. One topic to watch is whether the ‘E’ (European) in EFC turns to ‘W’ (worldwide) one day.
Another sub-plot is whether federations in Africa will remain universally in favour of Infantino. It was significant that Motsepe was also at the Super Cup.
Multiple sources have told talkSPORT his attendance was in part to discuss Infantino’s future rather than solely to support African referee Omar Artan, who officiated the game after being banned from entering the USA to referee at the 2026 World Cup.
Speaking to Sky, Motsepe urged FIFA’s members to let the election decide Infantino’s fate, but stopped short of directly backing the under-pressure FIFA President.
4
“If you want to take him out, go for elections,” he said. “Let the 211 member associations decide. Do that and the vote will express whether they’ve got confidence in him or not.”
Although no one has publicly come forward yet to run against Infantino, the November 18 deadline is currently viewed as secondary to a potentially more imminent vote of no confidence that could be triggered before it. Ceferin’s hope is that Infantino walks before this is necessary.
talkSPORT understands UEFA not only want Infantino gone, but to also rethink the FIFA presidency itself.
How could a new-look FIFA presidency operate?
This could see rotating presidents to dilute the office’s power, or even removing the title altogether and replacing it with a chair.
This could also see a series of vice-chairs providing further checks and balances, and a governance model not too dissimilar to the civil service.
Whereas Infantino pushed to align FIFA’s commercial, operational and regulatory arms under one partly-privatised subsidiary, senior UEFA figures prefer a clear separation in each of these areas.
4
FIFA were approached for comment and pointed towards ‘constructive and positive’ talks in Morocco from select members of FIFA’s leadership.
FIFA sources also reiterated their statement from last week which pointed to the fact, “The FIFA president was democratically elected by FIFA member associations and continues to serve with their mandate.
“Those who do not have the support of FIFA member associations should not seek to achieve through allegation, insinuation or misinformation what they cannot achieve through FIFA’s established democratic processes.”
