The crisis within FIFA is taking on new dimensions, as the president of the German Football Association and FIFA Council member, Bernd Neuendorf, has sharply criticized Gianni Infantino's latest initiative for reforms in the organization.
Just hours after Infantino sent a letter to 211 member federations, proposing an independent review of decision-making processes and broad consultations on FIFA's governance, Neuendorf described the move as an effort tied to the upcoming presidential election.
"I consider Gianni Infantino's message a clear maneuver to secure his re-election next year," Neuendorf said, according to Reuters. He added that FIFA seems to have understood the need for change, but that Infantino is not the right person to lead such a process.
Neuendorf also said that the relationship of trust with the current leadership of FIFA has been severely damaged and that Infantino's credibility has been called into question by the way recent developments have been handled.
Infantino's letter to all member associations came after the crisis created by the now-withdrawn plan to involve private investors in FIFA's commercial rights. The project, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise, faced strong opposition and was abandoned in July after backlash from various confederations and federations.
Infantino has already proposed that FIFA's decision-making process and governance framework be subject to an external, independent review. He has also called for a consultation process with continental confederations, member associations and other stakeholders, with the aim of identifying changes to the way the organisation operates.
It is this proposal that has aroused skepticism among Infantino's opponents. UEFA, AFC and CONCACAF have called for more transparency and changes to FIFA's governance after the failure of the project to involve private investors.
The clash comes on the eve of FIFA's presidential election, scheduled for March 18, 2027 in Rabat, Morocco. Infantino is seeking a fourth term, while his opponents are discussing how to change the organization's governing structure. According to Reuters, despite the criticism, Infantino continues to have significant support within FIFA, while his opponents have yet to consolidate an alternative candidacy.
In this climate, the clash between Neuendorf and Infantino shows that the debate over the leadership of FIFA has now shifted to the highest levels of the organization itself, with issues of transparency, governance and the distribution of power at the center of the conflict.
