UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has criticised Donald Trump's 'shocking' support of Gianni Infantino, as the FIFA president faces mounting pressure at the helm of football's governing body.
Infantino has been a divisive figure since replacing Sepp Blatter, recently spearheading proposals to sell World Cup stakes to private investors earlier this summer, which were eventually scrapped following fierce opposition. That is just the tip of the iceberg regarding the scrutiny Infantino has faced in recent months.
Trump's intervention in Balogun red card
Throughout this summer's tournament in North America, US president Trump wielded his influence in an attempt to help reverse a red card shown to Folarin Balogun during his country's round of 32 meeting with Bosnia & Herzegovina. The striker was subsequently permitted to feature for the USA in their round of 16 tie against Belgium, although FIFA maintain the US President's intervention played no part in the verdict.
It's alleged that Trump directly contacted Infantino to demand the punishment against USA's key player was overturned, in a development that left football supporters across the globe uneasy. This proved particularly galling given numerous other players had served their bans for red and yellow cards, including England's Jarrell Quansah, who received his marching orders against Mexico and was barred from representing the Three Lions until their third-place play-off encounter with France.
Ceferin's response
Elsewhere, Trump has hinted that it would be a "terrible mistake" to oust Infantino from his role as FIFA president, as he continues to face demands for his resignation within the world of football. Now, UEFA chief Ceferin has made it clear that he is concerned about the backing of the 80-year-old, reports the Express.
He elaborated on the Balogun situation: "That was more than shocking. We have rules, and if you don't respect your own rules, then the game doesn't make any sense. The president of a country says, 'I called him, and I told him to look at it.' And then the FIFA president says it was an independent decision. I mean, for us as football fans, or for us as a governing body, that's shocking. That's shocking, and - trust me - almost everybody was shocked. Just not everybody dared to speak."
Ceferin rules himself out
This comes as Ceferin has ruled himself out of the race to unseat Infantino from his presidency in the election this March. However, the 58-year-old does anticipate a contender to vie for the position. Speaking on The Rest is Politics, he said: "I'm not interested because of two reasons. One reason is that I love Uefa and I love working here, and I think that at a certain point, it's time to also enjoy life a bit. The second point is, my credibility is much, much higher if I'm not interested in the position."
