A human rights organization, FairSquare, has urged the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) to rule Gianni Infantino ineligible to seek another term as president, arguing that he has already reached the maximum of three terms allowed under the organization’s statutes.
اضافة اعلان
The FIFA presidency is limited to three terms.
However, in 2022, Infantino successfully argued that his first term, which began after his election at an extraordinary congress in 2016 following Sepp Blatter’s resignation, should not count toward the limit because it was the completion of an unfinished term.
In a letter sent to FIFA’s Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee, according to The Athletic, FairSquare said this interpretation contradicts FIFA’s statutes.
“The complaint we submitted contains clear evidence that this constitutes an explicit violation of the rules and sets a very dangerous precedent,” FairSquare director Nicholas McGeehan told Reuters.
“The rules clearly state that three presidential terms are the maximum allowed, and FIFA cannot circumvent this rule which serves as a check on presidential power simply by saying that his first term does not count,” he added.
Infantino is facing increasing scrutiny ahead of FIFA’s Congress next year, where he is expected to seek re-election for the 2027–2031 term. The vote is scheduled to take place in Morocco on March 18.
Last week, UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) called for a review of Infantino’s conduct after FIFA proposed creating a $20 billion subsidiary linked to its competitions, including the World Cup, to attract private investment.
Sources familiar with the situation said the three confederations viewed the letter as an opportunity for Infantino to step down while preserving his dignity.
Several national football associations have also raised concerns.
Scottish Football Association chief executive Ian Maxwell told the BBC on Monday that his association would not support Infantino’s re-election.
Infantino, however, continues to enjoy the support of the African and South American football confederations.
FIFA did not respond to a request for comment, but the FIFA Council unanimously confirmed in December 2022 that the period from 2016 to 2019 would not count as one of Infantino’s presidential terms.
Questions Over Lack of Transparency
FairSquare also questioned the transparency of the 2022 decision, noting that the reasoning behind the committee’s ruling has never been made public.
“The fact that they provided no reasons to support this claim, and announced the decision just two days before the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, suggests that they knew full well there was no basis for excluding Infantino’s first term,” McGeehan said.
The letter to the Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee was drafted with the assistance of Miguel Maduro, former chairman of FIFA’s independent Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee, who argued that the governing body cannot disregard its own rules.
“The principle of presidential term limits was a fundamental pillar of the 2016 reforms aimed at limiting power, and the applicable rule is clear: no FIFA president may serve more than three terms,” Maduro said in a statement.
“Attempting to exempt Mr. Infantino from this rule reveals resistance to the principle of term limits and demonstrates how some within FIFA view the rules not as provisions to be respected, but as obstacles to be circumvented,” he added.
