Fifa crisis: Uefa exec Nasser Al-Khelaifi ‘not interested’ in ousting Infantino
Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the Paris Saint-Germain president and high-ranking Uefa executive, has no interest in leading a Fifa coup against Gianni Infantino, according to his camp.
Infantino’s future as Fifa president has been plunged into doubt by the civil war triggered by plans to sell off stakes in a new commercial subsidiary to private investors, including Donald Trump’s extended family.
His position suffered a further blow when a key advisor quit today in protest at the proposals, which he called “troubling” and “a bad deal for football”.
Al-Khelaifi, who also chairs global broadcaster BeIn Media Group and heads the influential lobby group European Football Clubs, has been touted as a potential challenger to Infantino, who is up for re-election next year.
The Qatari placed second in City PM’s Football Power List last month, behind only Infantino, having emerged as one of the leaders of the successful backlash against plans for a European Super League in 2021.
Sources close to Al-Khelaifi insist he has “zero interest” in becoming Fifa president, despite his credentials and potential ability to unite European and Asian stakeholders.
Why Al-Khelaifi is strong candidate for Fifa president
Friends added that the former tennis player enjoys his current lifestyle, which involves daily games of padel, and had not spoken out against Fifa personally because he did not want to do anything to encourage the impression he wants the top job.
“Mr. Al-Khelaifi has absolutely no ambition, no intention and no interest in the Fifa role and all this media noise, and instead will continue to quietly and constructively support all the institutions of world and European football,” a spokesperson reiterated in a statement first issued earlier this week.
Nonetheless, he remains one of the most credible candidates should Europe decide to put forward a challenge to Infantino at the next Fifa elections.
Al-Khelaifi is a member of Uefa’s executive committee, de facto second in command, and is also a member of of the Fifa Council. His varoety of leadership roles give him enormous influence.
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin is the other obvious European contender, but he too has been conspicuous by his absence from his organisation’s scathing criticism of Fifa this week.
Beyond Europe, other potential Infantino successors include Asian chief Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, African boss Patrice Motsepe and Canadian Victor Montagliani.
Asia and Infantino advisor deepen Fifa leadership crisis
The Asian Football Confederation issued thinly veiled criticism of Infantino’s conduct in a statement rejecting Fifa’s plans for a new commercial vehicle.
It said: “The AFC calls upon Fifa to undertake an urgent review of its governance and decision-making framework to ensure that proposals of global significance are developed through proper consultation, meaningful engagement and appropriate oversight by Fifa’s statutory bodies.”
AFC also said it “stands in solidarity” with Uefa after all 55 European member nations backed a boycott of the World Cup and other Fifa events unless it shelved plans for the sell-off of stakes in the new company, Fifa Forward Enterprise.
Infantino’s senior advisor Carlos Cordeiro deepened the crisis at Fifa on Thursday by announcing his resignation.
“Decisions of this magnitude should be made in the interests of football, not those who stand to profit from it,” he said.