Oslo, Aug 7 (IANS) Pressure on FIFA president Gianni Infantino intensified on Friday after Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) president Lise Klaveness publicly called on him to resign, arguing that he no longer enjoys the confidence needed to lead world football through its current governance crisis.
Speaking after the NFF’s monthly board meeting, Klaveness said the trust between FIFA and key stakeholders had been severely damaged following the controversy surrounding the governing body’s now-withdrawn investment proposal.
“Gianni Infantino no longer has the institutional trust required to lead FIFA in a stable manner. The international football community is facing a difficult period, and we believe new leadership is needed. We will therefore ask the FIFA president to resign,” Klaveness told reporters as quoted by The BBC.
The latest intervention comes after FIFA abandoned its proposed investment plan, which would have involved selling a minority stake in the commercial rights linked to the FIFA World Cup. The proposal drew strong criticism from several football associations and confederations, particularly in Europe, over concerns about governance, transparency and the future control of the sport’s flagship tournament.
Klaveness said the Norwegian federation hopes more UEFA member associations will support its position in the coming weeks, although it is not seeking an extraordinary UEFA Executive Committee meeting.
“We are in regular dialogue with UEFA and other member associations. Whether more countries formally join this position is something that will develop over time. Our intention is to communicate directly with FIFA and ask the president to step down,” she said.
Klaveness, who took charge of the Norwegian federation in 2022, said the latest controversy was part of a broader pattern of concerns that Norway has repeatedly raised with FIFA over the past several years.
UEFA has already stated that it no longer has confidence in the FIFA president, accusing the organisation of failing to consult member associations adequately before unveiling the investment proposal. Although FIFA later withdrew the plan and Infantino issued an apology to all 211 member associations, UEFA has maintained that the episode exposed deeper governance issues and has continued to warn of a boycott if meaningful reforms are not implemented.
–IANS
sds/
