Aug 21 (Reuters) – Denmark’s football association (DBU) has vowed to find a credible alternative to FIFA President Gianni Infantino in next year’s election, declaring on Friday that it had lost confidence in the head of world soccer’s governing body.
The DBU said Infantino’s aborted proposal to sell commercial stakes in FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup, had created “a fundamental crisis of confidence in FIFA’s leadership” that could not be repaired by withdrawals or apologies.
The DBU said it did not support Infantino in the 2023 presidential election and would not do so at the next election, which will take place at the 77th FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco, on March 18.
“We are pleased that several federations are now withdrawing their support,” the DBU said in a statement after a board meeting.
“DBU, together with UEFA and our international colleagues, will work to ensure that the member associations in the presidential election in 2027 have a real choice and a credible alternative that can unite FIFA across confederations and rebuild the trust that has been broken.”
FIFA apologised earlier this month to its member associations for mistakes made over the abandoned proposal, but its leadership reaffirmed its support for Infantino after a crisis meeting in Morocco.
“Confidence in Gianni Infantino is gone, and neither the withdrawal of the proposal nor the subsequent apology for the handling of the process changes that assessment,” the DBU added.
“The developments of the past week also only further emphasise the board’s desire for a new FIFA president.”
The deadline for presidential election nominations is November 18, yet no one else has formally declared their candidacy so far.
Infantino is seeking a fourth term until 2031 but several national associations and key officials have withdrawn support for the Swiss administrator.
The sport’s regional powerhouses have also discussed a potential vote of no confidence against the FIFA chief.
Infantino is under pressure from three confederations to resign, including Europe’s UEFA, Asia’s AFC and CONCACAF, which represents North and Central America and the Caribbean.
However, he continues to enjoy the backing of the African confederation (CAF) and several Asian nations that have pledged their support for his re-election, while heavyweights like Argentina and Mexico have also backed him.
The DBU also echoed UEFA’s boycott threat, adding that it would not be participating in FIFA tournaments unless it receives “necessary guarantees” that FIFA will not open its governance and tournaments to private investors ever again.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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