Accra: The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has declared that it has lost confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino's leadership, despite welcoming FIFA's decision to abandon plans to sell a stake in its commercial competitions to private investors. In a strongly worded statement, UEFA said FIFA's withdrawal of the proposal was a positive step but stressed that much work remains to restore trust within world football's governing body.
According to Ghana Web, UEFA welcomed FIFA's decision to withdraw its plan to sell a stake in its competitions, including the World Cup, into private hands. The European football governing body criticised the manner in which the proposal was handled, accusing FIFA of pursuing 'secret schemes on fast-track timescales' that offered questionable benefits to the sport.
'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,' UEFA added. The organisation also issued a direct rebuke of FIFA's current administration, claiming that Infantino's leadership no longer enjoys its confidence.
'The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA's confidence but also that of many other members of the football family,' the statement concluded.