UEFA’s general secretary Gianni Infantino has said he will stand on a platform to reform FIFA after announcing he will run for the presidency of the world governing body.
– FIFA: Sheikh Salman submits presidency bid
– FIFPRO: Call for “tests of integrity” for candidates
– FIFA: Mong-Joon demands “reasoned decision” over ban
Infantino – Michel Platini’s right-hand man for the last six years – has received the unanimous backing of UEFA’s executive committee.
Platini has also submitted his candidacy for the election but is currently banned for 90 days pending a disciplinary hearing into a £1.3million payment signed off by outgoing president Sepp Blatter in 2011.
An emergency meeting of UEFA’s executive committee took place via teleconference on Monday morning. Infantino, who is understood to have held talks with senior figures in the Asian confederation about standing, could step down if Platini is cleared of all charges, but otherwise would be a strong candidate in his own right.
Infantino said: “I can confirm that following the decision of the UEFA executive committee, I have today submitted my candidature, with the required declarations of support, to become the next FIFA president.
“I will in due course be setting out my detailed thinking in a manifesto which will address the challenges and opportunities ahead. It will be based on the need for reform and also for a FIFA that genuinely serves the interests of all 209 national associations, big or small, and that puts football and football development at the top of its agenda.”
UEFA’s statement of support for Gianni Infantino. https://t.co/lFoW7Itgtx Over 30 lines of text, not one mention of Michel Platini.
— Philippe Auclair (@PhilippeAuclair) October 26, 2015
A statement from UEFA’s executive committee, which did not mention Platini at all, said: “The forthcoming election for a new FIFA president represents a crucial moment in the governance of the game and the future of FIFA itself. We believe that Gianni Infantino has all of the qualities required to tackle the major challenges ahead and to lead the organisation on a path of reform to restore FIFA’s integrity and credibility.
Infantino is a Swiss lawyer who has worked for UEFA since 2000, becoming its head of legal affairs in 2004.
The deadline for nominations for the February 26 election is midnight on Monday, Swiss time.
