Skip to Content Subscribe Our Offers My Account Manage My Subscriptions FAQ Newsletters Canada Canadian True Crime Canadian Politics Health World Israel & Middle East Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Comics NP News Quiz New York Times Crossword Horoscopes Life Eating & Drinking Style Sponsored Play for Ontario Travel Travel Canada Travel USA Travel International Cruises Travel Essentials Culture Books Celebrity Movies Music Theatre Television Business Essentials Advice Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Buy Canadian Home Living Outdoor Living Kitchen & Dining Tech Style & Beauty Personal Care Entertainment & Hobbies Gift Guide Travel Guide Amazon Prime Day Deals Savings National Post Store More Sports Hockey Baseball Basketball Football Soccer Golf Tennis Driving Vehicle Research Reviews News Gear Guide Obituaries Place an Obituary Place an In Memoriam Classifieds Place an Ad Celebrations Working Business Ads Archives Healthing Epaper Manage Print Subscription Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ Newsletters Canada World Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Life Shopping Epaper Manage Print Subscription HomeNewsWorldSportsSoccerFIFA's Infantino under fire from three football confederations'Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding — or demanding — power to be held,' UEFA, CONCACAF, AFC wroteAuthor of the article: You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Three football confederations declared football 'belongs to no individual,' in a letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON /AFP via Getty ImagesFIFA president Gianni Infantino came under renewed fire on Monday as a joint letter from three confederations — UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC — declared football “belongs to no individual”.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorInfantino has been the butt of scathing criticism ever since launching, and then withdrawing within days, a plan to bring private investment into FIFA competitions, including World Cups.FIFA had hit back on Saturday at “a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine” football’s governing body and Infantino.Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againHowever, Monday’s letter from the governing bodies of European football (UEFA), North and Central America (CONCACAF) and Asia (AFC), showed his critics are unbowed.“Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding — or demanding — power to be held,” they wrote.“When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned,” the confederations added.The three confederations had been vociferous in their condemnation of Infantino’s plan and had not let up after it was shelved.CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani is viewed as a potential challenger to Infantino, who will seek a fourth and final term at the FIFA presidential election in Rabat next March.Candidates have to be declared by November 18. Victor Montagliani, President of CONCACAF, is thought to be a potential contender to contest for FIFA’s presidency. Photo by Elizabeth Ruiz Ruiz /Getty ImagesUEFA’s threat to boycott World Cups if the private investment plan went ahead — in theory depriving the competition of teams including reigning men’s champions Spain and 2026 semi-finalists France and England — proved pivotal in Infantino withdrawing his plan.Prior to this debacle Infantino had looked likely to be unopposed, after overseeing a successful World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.The 56-year-old Swiss, who has been in situ for 10 years, has received the backing of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) while South American governing body CONMEBOL are largely supportive.The confederations do not vote as blocs and there have been some supportive voices for Infantino from CONCACAF, Mexico, and two AFC members — Kuwait and 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar, where he has a house.Although the proposal has been dead in the water for over a week now — UEFA had termed it “a shabby, opaque, backroom deal” — the confederations harangued him for a lack of judgment.“FIFA’s recent letter to its Vice-Presidents and 211 Member Associations acknowledges that mistakes were made in the process,” they said.“It treats this as a failure of communication, when what football witnessed was a failure of judgment.”‘Accountability’Although Infantino had received the “full support” of senior FIFA directors last week in an emergency meeting he called in Morocco, the confederations said it was meaningless.“This recent meeting, where a select number of members of the FIFA Management Committee — not the full Committee — were summoned abroad, rather than leadership going to Zurich to address the heart of FIFA, its staff, only reinforces these concerns and represents a continuation of the very pattern of conduct that brought us to this moment,” they said.“It is not the conduct of a custodian of the game, but of one who believes the game is answerable to him.”Infantino had been basking in the afterglow of a hugely successful World Cup — the largest ever involving 48 teams.However, the confederations made clear in the letter that it was not just Infantino who had made this possible.“The growth over the past decade has been real,” they said.“But that progress was never the work of one individual.“It was the product of FIFA, the Confederations, the Member Associations, and the thousands of people who dedicate their lives to the game.“The expanded tournaments, the awarding of the 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cups, the distribution of resources to associations. These were shared achievements, agreed together, delivered together.”The confederations signed off their letter by claiming that under Infantino’s leadership “there is silence where there should be accountability, distance where there should be openness”.They added: “That is why we have taken this stance: not lightly and not alone, but together, and out of duty to the game we serve. Football’s strength has always been its unity.”Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our newsletters here. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.