Irish FA withdraws support for InfantinoImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Gianni Infantino has been Fifa president since 2016ByJonathan BradleyBBC Sport NI senior journalistPublished22 minutes agoThe Irish Football Association says it is “time for change” at Fifa and they will not be voting for president Gianni Infantino’s re-election next year.Infantino has been under increasing scrutiny since his aborted attempt to sell off a 21% stake in Fifa’s commercial operations to a private investment company.The plans were scrapped after widespread criticism, with Uefa threatening a boycott of all Fifa competitions.The IFA, the governing body for football in Northern Ireland, had previously backed Uefa’s stance without formally withdrawing their support, but have now stated Infantino’s plan raised “fundamental questions” of the president.
It stated in a statement: “The proposal to sell part of Fifa’s assets to a private equity firm without consultation, represents more than a failure of communication. In our view, it raises fundamental questions about strategy, governance and stewardship of our assets.
“We believe the time has come for change.”
The Football Associations of England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland have previously publicly withdrawn support for Infantino, who is scheduled to stand for a fourth term as president in March.
Should the 56-year-old Swiss be successful, by the end of the term in 2031, his tenure will have been extended to 15 years.
