Belgian FA ‘cannot back’ Infantino amid World Cup and Balogun ‘transparency’ concerns
Belgium’s FA has vowed to oppose Gianni Infantino’s bid for re-election as Fifa president, in part because it remains unhappy at the handling of the Folarin Balogun incident.
Infantino confirmed at the weekend that he intends to stand again in March despite a furious backlash to his now-abandoned plans to partially privatise the World Cup.
The Belgian FA cited unresolved concerns around that episode and the handling of the suspension given to USA striker Balogun which was then lifted ahead of their game against Belgium at this summer’s World Cup following pressure from President Trump.
“The Royal Belgian Football Association cannot support Gianni Infantino’s candidacy for a new term as Fifa president,” it said, adding that its “decision rests on two fundamental pillars where Fifa has so far failed to provide transparency”.
It cited Infantino’s plan to house the World Cup rights in a spin-off company and sell minority stakes to outside investors led by Joshua Kushner, brother of Trump’s son in law.
“Regarding a number of key decisions and financial estimates within this file, insufficient insight has been provided to date regarding the underlying rationale and decision-making process. This raises questions about the transparency and governance of the process. We remain aligned with Uefa and jointly demand clear answers on the decision-making process and the next steps.”
Belgian FA aligned with Uefa over Infantino and Fifa
The RBFA said “key questions remain unanswered” over the Balogun episode. “Despite our explicit requests for (1) a clear justification of the decisions taken and (2) clarification on how such situations will be handled in the future, we have not received a satisfactory response to date,” it said.
“It is essential – in the interest of Fifa, good governance, and the credibility of international football – that such cases are handled transparently and meticulously, with clear safeguards for the future.”
The RBFA said it remained aligned with Uefa, which has initiated legal proceedings in the US against Infantino with a view to a potential criminal complaint in Switzerland.