Rights group asks FIFA to stop Infantino's re-election plans
The human rights organization FairSquare sent a letter to three members of FIFA's Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee asking them to stop the federation's president Gianni Infantino from running for re-election. In the letter seen by news portal The Athletic on Monday, FairSquare argues that FIFA statutes don't permit another term for Infantino.
Rights group FairSquare has written to three members of FIFA's Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee, urging them to halt Gianni Infantino's re-election bid. The organization contends that FIFA's statutes do not allow Infantino to seek another term. A 2022 amendment to the rules, which would have permitted a second term, was not sufficiently publicized before the FIFA Council's vote.
Key to the debate is whether Infantino's initial term, spanning 2016 to 2019, would be counted as a full term. If it is, he would be barred from running again under FIFA's three-term limit. Infantino posits that he merely filled the remaining portion of his predecessor Joseph Blatter's term and should be able to continue serving for another four years, beginning in 2027.
The 56-year-old is presently the sole candidate for the presidency. FairSquare's appeal holds little practical weight, as it has previously unsuccessfully challenged Infantino before the International Olympic Committee, alleging political interference due to Infantino's alleged ties to U.S. President Donald Trump. Infantino has recently faced criticism for proposing a multi-billion dollar plan to sell World Cup broadcasting rights.
In response to protests, including UEFA's threat of a World Cup boycott, Infantino withdrew the proposal.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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