Welsh FA withdraws support for Infantino as FIFA chief
Following the collapse of his commercialization plan, FIFA president Gianni Infantino is facing a wave of withdrawals of support from European football associations. The Football Association of Ireland is expected to join the English and Welsh associations in opposing his leadership.
Why it matters
The loss of support from major European football bodies threatens the political stability of the FIFA presidency.
The Professional Footballers Association of Ireland believes that the FAI will follow suit with the English and Welsh football associations by formally withdrawing their support for Gianni Infantino.
Infantino announced on Saturday that plans to sell stakes in a company which would run FIFA competitions to private investors had been scrapped, amid opposition from three continents and a boycott threat from UEFA.
UEFA welcomed Infantino's U-turn but issued a statement saying it had lost confidence in Infantino’s leadership, with the English FA saying the statement had its "full support".
Prior to the furore over the proposal, the FA and the Football Association of Wales (FAW) had written letters of support for Infantino standing for election at next year’s FIFA Congress.
PFAI solicitor Stuart Gilhooly expects the FAI to add their voice to those calling for Infantino to leave.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in