The Arab Football Union unanimously renewed its support for Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).
The Arab Football Union clarified that the renewal of support came due to his continuous efforts over nearly a decade to strengthen the unity of the football family and continue developing the game.
In addition to the growth of football and expanding its global presence in a way that serves the interests of all stakeholders and meets the aspirations of players and fans around the world.
Infantino faced numerous criticisms during the recent period.
The Spanish, German, English, and Italian leagues issued a joint statement against Infantino.
The statement explained: "Football has been threatened in recent years by a fundamental governance problem, after the FIFA president promoted exploitative ideas."
It continued, "Although football stakeholders forced the FIFA president to withdraw the 'FIFA Forward Enterprise' program, the conditions that led to its emergence still exist."
The four leagues called for achieving the following points:
- Granting stakeholders "national associations, leagues, clubs, and players" a real role in decision-making regarding the calendar and competitions
- Making decisions supported by evidence and evaluation, carefully studying options, and attaching published explanations to final decisions instead of unilateral decisions, increasing matches, and extending international break periods without actual stakeholder involvement
- Separating FIFA's regulatory role from commercial interests
The leagues also demanded that all candidates for the FIFA presidency publish their reform programs, discuss their content, and commit to fair election rules.
They also demanded that FIFA's financial, legal, media, and marketing resources remain completely neutral, and that no candidate be given any electoral advantage.
The statement concluded, "The time has now come to determine not only who will lead FIFA, but how it should be managed. The football world needs FIFA to be a strong institution. But strength must be coupled with accountability. FIFA can derive its authority only through sharing responsibility, accepting scrutiny, and earning trust."
Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), announced that he would run in the upcoming presidential elections.
The elections are scheduled to take place on March 18th.
Previously, Aleksander Čeferin, President of UEFA, announced that he does not intend to run against Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, amidst calls for him to resign from his position.
UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and CONCACAF issued an open letter accusing Infantino of breaking the trust of the football system and placing himself above the game.
The escalation came in response to an attempt to sell commercial shares of the World Cup, a step the confederations confirmed was taken without sufficient consultation and rushed to avoid discussion.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Football Association, headed by Hany Abo Rida, issued a joint statement along with six other associations supporting Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA.
Infantino continues to enjoy support from the African Football Confederation, CONMEBOL, and Oceania, excluding New Zealand.
