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UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin said he is “not interested” in replacing Gianni Infantino, but warned the under-fire FIFA president must either quit or face a leadership challenge in March.
Infantino has faced growing criticism over his abandoned plan to secure private investment in FIFA tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups.
UEFA has also threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, while several European football federations have withdrawn their support for Infantino.
Speaking on a podcast programme on Monday, Ceferin said he preferred to remain focused on his role at UEFA.
“I’m not interested because of two reasons. One reason is that I love UEFA and I love working here,” he said.
He added that staying out of the FIFA race would strengthen his credibility.
Ceferin has been a vocal critic of Infantino’s plans to attract private investment into FIFA competitions and said the FIFA president’s once-strong position is now under pressure. He said Infantino has two options: recognise that he no longer has enough support and step down, or contest the next FIFA election in March 2027.
“There are two options. One option is that he realises that he doesn’t have the support,” Ceferin said.
He said the issue went beyond the votes of football officials, pointing to support from fans, players, former players and coaches.
“The second option 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,” he added.
Infantino, a former UEFA secretary general, became FIFA president in 2016 after succeeding Sepp Blatter and initially enjoyed strong support from European football nations.
However, Ceferin said the situation is different now, adding that he has not spoken to Infantino since the controversy began.
CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani and AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa are among the names considered possible challengers to Infantino.
