The Uefa president, Aleksander Ceferin, has attacked his embattled Fifa counterpart Gianni Infantino in a scathing takedown of the failed Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) project and other recent scandals, saying “the emperor is naked” and declaring “it is time to say ‘enough’”. In a pointed address to the European Football Clubs (EFC) general assembly, Ceferin did not mention Infantino by name but made clear his view that Fifa’s leadership must change. He drew on the event’s location, Copenhagen, to make a comparison to Hans Christian Andersen’s The Emperor’s New Clothes in assessing Infantino’s conduct, making clear reference to the peace prize awarded to Donald Trump and last summer’s Folarin Balogun affair along with the FFE scheme.
Until a child simply says aloud what everyone can see: the emperor is naked. Perhaps the moral of the story is this: convenient words cannot change uncomfortable realities. Putting a fait accompli in front of national associations does not become democratisation because you call it democratisation, however big the cheque is.
And secrecy does not become consultation because you call it consultation.” Ceferin suggested to the hundreds of club representatives present that Infantino’s behaviour would not be tolerated at one of their organisations. Your players and fans didn’t know. And by the time you find out, the deal is almost done.
What would your board do? Then, that same political leader calls during the biggest competition in the world to complain about a decision on the pitch. Then the decision changes.
I think it is time to say ‘enough’. No office, no title and no amount of power gives anyone the right to sell the future of football.” The ongoing war of words between football’s biggest governing bodies had already intensified on Tuesday when Fifa accused Uefa of waging a “misinformation campaign” and trying to influence the race for its presidency, urging a US court to reject Uefa’s request to receive documents for use in a planned criminal complaint against Infantino. Senior figures within Uefa remain adamant that a candidate to oppose Infantino in the Fifa election next March must be found before the 18 November deadline for nominations.
The EFC chair, Nasser al-Khelaifi, has been mooted in the past as a future contender but conclusively ruled himself out of the Fifa presidency in the Danish capital. I’m enjoying what I’m doing, having fun. Fifa, not for me.” Al-Khelaifi has designs on expanding the scope of his own organisation.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
