The Irish Football Association has said it is “time for change” at Fifa and that they will not be voting for president Gianni Infantino’s re-election next year.
Infantino has been under increasing scrutiny since his abandoned attempt to sell off a 21% stake in Fifa’s commercial operations to a private investment company.
The plans were aborted after widespread criticism with Uefa threatening a boycott of all Fifa competitions.
The IFA, the governing body for football
The IFA, the governing body for football in Northern Ireland, had previously backed Uefa’s stance without formally withdrawing their support but have now said Infantino’s plan raised “fundamental questions” of the governing body.
“The proposal to sell part of Fifa’s assets to a private equity firm without consultation, represents more than a failure of communication. In our view, it raises fundamental questions about strategy, governance and stewardship of our assets,” said a statement.
“We believe the time has come for change.”
The Football Associations of England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland have previously publicly withdrawn support for Infantino, who is scheduled to stand for a fourth term as president in March.
Should the 56-year-old Swiss be successful, by the end of the term in 2031, his tenure will have extended to 15 years.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
