France has withdrawn its support for Gianni Infantino’s bid for a fourth term as FIFA president, becoming the latest major European football nation to distance itself from the world governing body’s leader.
The French Football Federation (FFF) announced the decision on Thursday, following similar moves by England, Italy, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland.
The decision comes after Infantino’s controversial proposal to allow private investors to acquire stakes in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. The plan sparked widespread criticism and prompted UEFA to threaten a boycott of FIFA competitions.
UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf have also called for Infantino to step down, while he continues to receive support from South America’s Conmebol and Africa’s CAF.
FIFA has confirmed that Infantino will seek a fourth term in office at the presidential election in March.
FFF president Philippe Diallo said the federation could not support the way the investment proposal was handled.
“A project with such a significant impact on the future of football could not be envisaged without comprehensive information, in-depth consultation and a fully transparent decision-making process,” Diallo said.
He added that FIFA’s governance standards did not reflect the values that football represents.
Although Infantino eventually abandoned the investment proposal, the FFF said concerns about FIFA’s wider governance remained unresolved.
“FIFA’s governance cannot be considered resolved,” the federation said.
The FFF plans to consult confederations, national associations, players, supporters and governance experts as it develops proposals for comprehensive reforms.
The federation said the consultations would seek to promote collective discussion and establish proposals for a far-reaching transformation of FIFA’s governance, with the aim of restoring confidence, improving transparency and ensuring the independence and integrity of football’s global governing body.
As a founding member of FIFA, the FFF said it intends to play an active role in the debate over the future direction and regulation of world football.
