Uefa boss Ceferin rules out running against ‘naive’ Fifa president Infantino
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has ruled out running for the top job at Fifa but warned that efforts to oust Gianni Infantino will not stop.
Infantino is battling to save his job after sparking widespread outrage when his now-abandoned plan to partly privatise the World Cup leaked earlier this month.
He has resisted calls from Europe, Asia and North America to step down, while no candidate has yet come forward to stand against him in next year’s elections.
“I’m not interested because of two reasons,” Ceferin, one of Fifa’s most outspoken critics, told The Rest Is Politics: Leading podcast.
“One reason is that I love Uefa and I love working here, and I think that at a certain point you have also to enjoy life a bit. Let’s see till when.
“And the second point is, my credibility is much, much, much higher if I’m not interested in the position.”
While he does not intend to run against Infantino, Ceferin insists a rival candidate will come forward if Infantino continues to cling to power.
Canadian Victor Montagliani, head of the Concacaf union which comprises Central and North America as well as the Caribbean, has been mooted as the most likely alternative candidate.
Ceferin: Infantino has lost political support across football
“Things are changing every day. Every day there are different discussions. I didn’t speak with him. He didn’t contact me since this happened. But there are two options,” he added.
“One option is that he realises that he doesn’t have the support, and not that’s not only a political support of the ones who vote, but the political support of football community, the political support of fans, the political support of the players, former players, coaches.
“And the second option is that he goes to the elections in March, but in that case, I think he will have a candidate against him. I don’t know yet who.”
Infantino retains the backing of South America and most of Africa, as well as his ally President Trump, although Ceferin played down the latter’s loyalty.
“To be honest, I think you are naive if you think that a politician like that, or any politician, is your good friend,” he said. “The moment you are a problem, you stop being a friend of a politician.”