UEFA calls for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to resign

UEFA has called for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to resign following the collapse of a proposed deal to sell a stake in the FIFA World Cup to a group of private investors.

The proposal reportedly sought to sell a £3.1 billion stake to an investment group led by Josh Kushner, a relative of former United States President Donald Trump. However, the plan was abandoned on Friday after attracting widespread criticism.

In a statement issued on Saturday, UEFA said it had lost confidence in Infantino’s leadership, accusing FIFA of pursuing the proposal through a secretive process that lacked transparency.

“We cannot keep going on like this with secret schemes on fast-track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game. We must identify those responsible and hold them to account,” the statement read in part.

UEFA said it would work with its member associations and other football confederations to review how the proposal emerged and ensure similar situations do not occur in the future.

“It is right that, in the coming days and weeks, UEFA will work with its associations and in close cooperation with other confederations to reflect on how this happened and devise a plan to make sure that it cannot occur again.

“That review should be thorough and fundamental. No option should be off the table. The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family.”

According to the report, FIFA member associations could initiate a vote of no confidence against Infantino, who is seeking a fourth term as FIFA president in next year’s elections.

The process requires the backing of at least 46 FIFA member associations to begin, while UEFA has 55 member associations.