3 weeks ago
Norwegian FA Demands FIFA President Infantino's Resignation, Citing Lost Trust
Norway's football leader, Lise Klaveness, said the president of world football, Gianni Infantino, should quit his job.
She said people no longer trust him to lead the sport.
She thinks international football is in big trouble and is very divided.
She is unhappy about how tournaments are chosen to be hosted.
She mentioned a peace prize that FIFA gave to US President Donald Trump.
She was upset that an American player's punishment was removed after a call from Trump.
Norway did not vote for Infantino in the last FIFA election and will not vote for him in March.
Klaveness says football leaders act like they are in a power struggle from a TV show instead of fixing problems.
She wants the next FIFA leader to make real changes and be a fair governing body, not a business.
Other countries might join Norway in asking Infantino to leave.
The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) publicly demanded FIFA President Gianni Infantino's resignation, with president Lise Klaveness saying 'there is no way back for Infantino.'
Klaveness cited concerns including the awarding of tournaments, the inaugural FIFA peace prize to US President Donald Trump, and the overturning of a ban on American forward Folarin Balogun following a call from Trump.
The call follows FIFA's abandoned proposal to sell a slice of the World Cup's commercial future to its 211 member associations, which sparked bitter conflict among governing bodies.
Norway did not vote for Infantino in the 2023 election and will not support him in FIFA's upcoming March presidential election.
Klaveness described international football cooperation as 'very divided, very polarised' and in crisis, urging a focus on governance reform rather than 'Game of Thrones'-style power struggles.
- Who
- Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF), issued the call; FIFA President Gianni Infantino is the target.
- What
- Klaveness publicly called for Infantino's resignation, citing a lack of institutional trust and a 'crisis' in international football cooperation.
- Where
- Norway (statement to reporters); the dispute concerns FIFA's global governance.
- When
- Friday, following the NFF's monthly board meeting, ahead of FIFA's presidential election in March.
- Why
- Concerns over tournament awards, the FIFA peace prize to US President Donald Trump, the overturned ban on Folarin Balogun, and the bitter conflict sparked by FIFA's abandoned World Cup commercial rights proposal.
Reform advocates
Current FIFA leadership
FIFA's role in football
Reform advocates
FIFA should be first and foremost a governing body for international football, not a business developer that competes with confederations.
Current FIFA leadership
FIFA floated the idea of a new commercial rights body to its 211 member associations to sell a slice of the World Cup's commercial future, a proposal that was later abandoned.
Infantino's future
Reform advocates
Infantino lacks the institutional trust required to govern FIFA stably and cannot unite a very divided, polarised football community, so he should resign now.
Current FIFA leadership
Infantino remains FIFA president, and a FIFA election is scheduled for March in which he could be re-elected.
Key facts
- Call for resignation
- FIFA President Gianni Infantino
- Caller
- Lise Klaveness, Norwegian Football Federation President
- Reason
- Lack of institutional trust; 'crisis' in international football governance
- Key concerns
- Tournament awarding, FIFA peace prize to Donald Trump, overturned ban for Folarin Balogun
- NFF voting record
- Did not vote for Infantino in 2023; will not support him in March election
- Next election
- March FIFA presidential election
- Klaveness tenure
- NFF president since March 2022
- Klaveness profile
- 45-year-old qualified lawyer
Quotes
Lise Klaveness
President of the Norwegian Football Federation
“We decided that there is no trust in Infantino now. We have been worried consistently and there has been one more step in worrying direction every year, every part of the year. The trust is now gone for us, there is no way back for Infantino.”
indianexpress.com
“"It is a crisis, really. And then we need a leader to gather this and he's not in a position to gather it now. So for the sake of football, we ask him to resign."”
rediff.com
Sources
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