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Behind the scenes of the secret plan: How UEFA is preparing a 'coup' against Infantino

2026-08-01 23:04:28Sport SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Gianni Infantino may have abandoned the much-debated plan to sell off part of the World Cup's commercial rights, but the political crisis within FIFA appears to have just entered its most heated phase.

According to an investigation by "The Telegraph", UEFA and its allies are working behind the scenes to end the Swiss' presidency, even using against him a secret plan drawn up by Infantino himself years ago.

Following the global outcry over the "FIFA Forward Enterprise" (FFE) project, which envisaged the sale of over 20 percent of the commercial rights to FIFA tournaments for around $4.2 billion, Infantino was forced to publicly back down, admitting that the initiative had "created division."

However, according to the British newspaper's sources, his opponents believe this is just the beginning of the end of his era.

The report reveals that, when Infantino was UEFA Secretary General, during the crisis that led to Sepp Blatter's departure from FIFA, he had confidentially drawn up a plan that envisaged UEFA's departure from FIFA and the creation of a rival world football organisation.

The plan was never implemented, but the documents have not disappeared.

"He thought no one had kept them because people from that period had moved away. But not everyone threw those documents away," a source told The Telegraph. "UEFA are seriously considering using them against him."

This project is different from the 2017 idea for a Global Nations League, but it shows that Infantino himself had once considered separating UEFA from FIFA.

Another front is finding a strong candidate for the FIFA presidential election.

According to the report, within UEFA there is great appreciation for CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani, who is considered a unifying figure with strong leadership skills.

The list of rumored names also includes the president of the Asian Confederation, Sheikh Salman, while Nasser Al-Khelaifi has denied that he has any ambitions to run.

One of Infantino's strongest political weapons was financial support for smaller federations thanks to FIFA's record revenues. But the plan to sell off part of the World Cup assets has changed the climate.

Infantino's former advisor, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned, calling the project a "bad deal."

"FIFA has billions of dollars in reserves and no debt. There is no compelling reason to mortgage the future of football," he declared.

According to The Telegraph, many federations have concluded that the agreement would impoverish them in the long run.

Another scenario is to call an Extraordinary FIFA Congress to seek a vote of no confidence in Infantino.

FIFA's statutes allow 20 percent of the 211 member associations (43 federations) to request such a Congress. UEFA alone has 55 members, meaning it has the power to initiate the process if it secures additional support.

The pressure on Infantino doesn't just come from football.

US Democrat Jamie Raskin has launched an investigation into the FIFA president's ties to Donald Trump's administration and how the private investor project was promoted.

Meanwhile, FIFA's chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, publicly admitted that staff had been "misled" by Infantino's lack of transparency during the preparation of the plan.

The president of the Norwegian Federation, Lise Klaveness, described the situation as "very serious" and called for an independent investigation.

In conclusion, according to "The Telegraph", Gianni Infantino's opponents are more united than ever and, led by UEFA, are considering every possible way to end his presidency of FIFA.


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