Former and current stars of football have amplified calls from the game’s elite for new FIFA leadership, with president Gianni Infantino facing heightened pressure before next year’s elections for the presidency.
Monday statement issued on social media by former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre, who serves on FIFA’s Players’ Voice panel, called for reform, stating that ‘Enough is enough!’
England’s Lucy Bronze and France’s ’98 World Cup winner, Emmanuel Petit, were among high-profile figures on social media expressing support for changing football’s governing body.
It alleged that FIFA’s current administration was failing to stick to football’s fundamental values and spoke about important decisions that were not based on input from players or the supporters.
‘Change is needed now; power has completely blurred the judgement on its current leaders between their own business interests and what matters most for football,’ it said.
These were criticisms that followed after a statement against Infantino over a proposed deal to sell parts of a company being formed to run the World Cup to the private sector.
UEFA President, Aleksander Ceferin admitted Infantino’s opponents could run him close, as he himself declared he will not run for FIFA president, while ex-Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto’o, backed him up saying the accusations were election motivated and mentioned among potential candidates were the likes of Victor Montagliani the CONCACAF president, whose confederation, joining UEFA & AFC opposed Infantino’s bid, he later however stepped back after several top officials had declared their opposition toward his plan.
