FIFA Shocked: UEFA Wants to Do Something Unprecedented with the Presidency

The standoff between UEFA and Gianni Infantino is turning a new page as European football officials and their associates start deliberating on FIFA's post-crisis future.

The crisis at the highest level of world football continues to escalate as UEFA and its allies seek to change the leadership and governance mechanisms of FIFA. The conflict stems from the commercialization plans for the World Cup and other tournaments under FIFA's management, later evolving into a prolonged confrontation aimed at putting pressure on Gianni Infantino.

While Infantino remains firmly entrenched, the European football leaders and their allies have begun preparing for the post-crisis phase. In Salzburg, where many football officials gathered for the UEFA Super Cup, several plans for reforming FIFA were discussed, notably the idea of rotating the FIFA presidency among continental confederations.

According to sources mentioned in the discussions, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin held several meetings in Salzburg. The presence of CAF President Patrice Motsepe drew particular attention, as CAF had been one of the forces supporting Infantino. This also marked the first time leaders could meet in person in groups since the FIFA crisis erupted.

One of the topics discussed was conducting an independent assessment of FIFA's governance, while also drafting a policy document to define the structure and values the organization aims for in the future. Some sources noted that the new plans focus solely on FIFA rather than continental confederations, a notable detail.

This is directly related to the plan of rotating the FIFA presidency among continental confederations, similar to the model used in the European Union (EU) and some multinational organizations. If implemented, it would be difficult for FIFA to have another president with concentrated power like Infantino or his predecessors.

The plan also includes significantly strengthening the administrative apparatus around the presidency, steering FIFA toward a model resembling a more professional and capable civil service system. UEFA and its allies are said to consider changing the leadership and reforming FIFA's governance mechanisms as a minimum requirement to resolve the current crisis.