|
La Liga President Javier Tebas said FIFA chief Gianni Infantino should step down from his position, arguing that his tenure has run its course.
Tebas expressed little confidence that a change in leadership would happen, claiming FIFA's current system discourages challengers. He also stressed that while many privately disagree with Infantino's leadership and decisions, they are unwilling to publicly oppose him or mount a serious challenge. "In my opinion, yes, I think his time is up. He shouldn't stay, but the current state of affairs means he won't leave," Tebas said as per Reuters. "There's no opposition candidate; no one wants to run to lose. This is the system, and it's a system that's flawed from the ground up. I've heard a lot of people against Infantino, who don't agree with what he's doing. They say it, but then they don't do anything," he added. Tebas also criticised FIFA's decision to reverse the one-match suspension of United States striker Folarin Balogun after his red card at the World Cup, calling it an "extremely serious matter." He claimed FIFA was fortunate that Belgium eliminated the US, arguing that the controversy could otherwise have escalated into a major issue with consequences for FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Tebas described the incident as just "the tip of the iceberg" regarding broader concerns over FIFA's governance. "The suspension of the American player's ban is an extremely serious matter. They were lucky that Belgium eliminated the U.S., because otherwise a case could have arisen that might have cost Infantino his job. Since Belgium won, they managed to bury the matter. But these things are just the tip of the iceberg." Balogun's tournament ended amid controversy after FIFA suspended the one-match ban he had received following his red card in the United States' 2-0 Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, allowing him to feature against Belgium. The decision prompted a challenge from Belgium, but FIFA dismissed the protest and upheld Balogun's eligibility for the Round of 16 encounter. However, Belgium ended the United States' campaign, making them the last of the tournament's three co-hosts to be eliminated after Canada and Mexico. (ANI)
|
