FIFA: Gianni Infantino's candidacy could be challenged

On top of mounting criticism in recent days, Gianni Infantino may see his bid for another term as FIFA president contested.

Indeed, the organization FairSquare has appealed to the Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee, urging that the Italo-Swiss leader be declared ineligible for the election scheduled for next year. The association argues that Infantino is already serving his third and final term, contrary to FIFA’s own interpretation from 2022.

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In a letter sent on August 13, FairSquare demanded “that Mr. Infantino be declared ineligible for another term as FIFA president, as he is already serving his third and final mandate.” The organization considers that the decision to disregard his first term constitutes a “blatant violation of both the letter and the spirit of FIFA’s statutory term-limit provision.”

At the heart of the dispute is the 2016-2019 period, when Gianni Infantino succeeded Sepp Blatter mid-term. To recap, in 2022, FIFA’s Council confirmed that this period should not be counted as a full presidential term.

FairSquare now disputes this interpretation, emphasizing that the statutes state “no one may serve as president for more than three terms”, without distinguishing by term length or election circumstances. The organization also asserts that “neither FIFA’s statutes nor its governance regulations allow for a presidential term to be excluded simply because it did not last the full four years.”

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.