German FA accuses Infantino of using FIFA reform proposal to bolster re-election bid
German Football Association president Bernd Neuendorf says Gianni Infantino lacks the credibility to lead governance reforms before next year’s election.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has proposed an independent review of the organisation’s decision-making process, alongside consultations on possible governance reforms.
But German Football Association president Bernd Neuendorf has described the initiative as a “transparent ploy” to secure Infantino’s re-election, which is due to take place in March 2027.
Neuendorf, who is also a member of FIFA’s council, said Infantino was not the right person to lead a reform process and had “squandered all credibility”. His comments were reported by Al Jazeera Global News from a Reuters account based on Infantino’s letter and Neuendorf’s remarks.
The proposal follows the abandonment in July of Infantino’s plan to sell a 20 per cent stake in FIFA’s commercial rights after opposition and boycott threats. UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF have since called for changes to FIFA’s leadership, while UEFA has said it has lost faith in Infantino.
Infantino said member associations’ positions on governance proposals would not affect how FIFA treated them, and that its development and solidarity programmes would continue under existing rules.
Reuters, citing unnamed sources familiar with the discussions, reported that Infantino still had enough votes to win re-election. Opponents are considering ways to curb the president’s powers, while struggling to find a candidate to challenge him.
