UEFA Calms Tensions After Infantino's Tardiness Sparks Walkout at FIFA Congress

UEFA Calms Tensions After Infantino’s Tardiness Sparks Walkout at FIFA Congress

(The Post News)- UEFA calmed tensions after Infantino’s tardiness at the FIFA Congress. When international football chief Gianni Infantino arrived late from meetings with US President Donald Trump in Saudi Arabia and Qatar last week, European delegates staged a walkout at FIFA’s Congress in Paraguay. UEFA took action on Monday to alleviate the situation.

FIFA President Infantino arrived late to the annual meeting of the world governing body on Thursday, resulting in a delay of over two hours. The President of the Norwegian FA and several European football officials, including UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin, protested the delay by leaving the 75th FIFA Congress.

The governing body of European football stated on Monday that Ceferin and Infantino have a very good relationship characterized by trust and open communication. According to the UEFA statement, the latest incident was exceptional and does not represent their continued cooperation.

After being postponed by an hour, the international football annual meeting started more than two hours later than planned. Before the congressmen departed, Infantino apologized to them for his tardiness. His late arrival was attributed to flight issues, but he emphasized the significance of attending the meetings in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, hosts of the 2022 and 2034 World Cups, respectively.

“Choosing what’s best for FIFA is my job as its president,” Infantino remarked about his trip to the Gulf. “I felt I had to be there to represent football and all of you.” In a strongly worded statement after the walkout, UEFA called the disturbance “deeply regrettable” and accused the FIFA boss of prioritizing his personal political interests over the sport. Ceferin has publicly disagreed with Infantino on several matters, most notably the shelved plan to stage the World Cup every two years instead of every four. Recently, the UEFA president described the concept of a 64-team World Cup in 2030 to commemorate the tournament’s centenary as a “bad idea”.