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FairSquare has previously called on FIFA to rule Infantino ineligible, arguing that he has already completed the maximum three terms permitted under the organisation\u2019s statutes.<\/p>\n
However, Infantino maintains that his first period in office, following his election in 2016 at an extraordinary congress after Sepp Blatter\u2019s resignation, should not count towards the limit because he took over the remainder of his predecessor\u2019s interrupted term.<\/p>\n
In December 2022, the FIFA Council unanimously confirmed that Infantino\u2019s 2016-2019 period in office did not count as a full term. FairSquare, however, points out that FIFA has never made public the reasoning behind that decision.<\/p>\n
Read more: Greek Football Association Calls For FIFA Leadership Change<\/p>\n
\u201cArticle 33, paragraph 2, of the FIFA Statutes is absolutely clear. It states that no person may serve as president for more than three terms,\u201d Maduro told reporters.<\/p>\n
\u201cGianni Infantino has been elected three times and has served as FIFA president for three terms. In my view, there is no way to justify another presidential term for him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Portuguese lawyer left his FIFA position in 2017 after blocking the re-election of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko to the organisation\u2019s top committee.<\/p>\n
Maduro also stressed that the wording of the statute makes no exceptions for shorter terms.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe text is clear and refers to three terms. It does not distinguish between full and incomplete terms, or between four-year terms and those that may last for a shorter period,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Last month, Infantino\u2019s prospects of securing re-election received a significant boost when the head of Asian football publicly endorsed his candidacy. His backing from the continental confederations gives him a strong position among FIFA\u2019s 211 member associations, which hold voting rights.<\/p>\n
Maduro Raises Concerns Over FIFA Accountability<\/strong><\/p>\n Maduro also questioned the effectiveness of FIFA\u2019s governance framework, arguing that the organisation lacks adequate mechanisms to scrutinise and hold its president accountable, particularly when interpretations of its rules could work in his favour.<\/p>\n He said FIFA\u2019s existing safeguards against presidential power had weakened because of the reduced independence of its oversight bodies.<\/p>\n \u201cRecent evidence does not suggest that effective oversight exists. On the contrary, it creates the impression of a president who appears able to make decisions and act without meaningful constraints,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n FairSquare said it had contacted 52 FIFA member associations, seeking their support in challenging Infantino\u2019s eligibility. The organisation has yet to receive any responses.<\/p>\n However, FairSquare director and co-founder Nicholas McGeehan told Reuters that he would meet officials from the Norwegian Football Federation on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Norway has already supported a formal complaint by FairSquare against Infantino, accusing him of breaching FIFA\u2019s political neutrality rules.<\/p>\n \u201cWe hope the Norwegian federation, which has already approached the Ethics Committee and the Governance Committee, will also set an example in this case. However, other federations must also take action. The responsibility for defending basic rules cannot continually fall on the Norwegians,\u201d McGeehan said.<\/p>\n Maduro concluded that FIFA member associations appear reluctant to act independently because of what he described as a \u201cclimate of fear\u201d within the organisation.<\/p>\n (Source: AMNA)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n