‘He is a dictator’: Blatter criticises Infantino and announces a UEFA rival candidate

Next Wednesday marks the deadline for nominations for the post of FIFA President. According to Joseph Blatter, UEFA intends to nominate a rival candidate to the much-criticised Gianni Infantino in the near future.

According to former FIFA President Joseph Blatter, UEFA is set to put forward a candidate for the top job in world football in the near future. “UEFA has a plan; they will nominate a rival candidate next week,” the 90-year-old – who was himself FIFA President from 1998 to 2016 – told Der Spiegel.

Although the European governing body is exerting a great deal of pressure, if incumbent Gianni Infantino cannot be ousted before the next presidential election in March, he will be re-elected. “We now need to work out how to get rid of him,” Blatter emphasised.

The deadline for nominations is 18 November. Arsène Wenger is being touted as a possible challenger. According to the German Press Agency, a decision from the 77-year-old Frenchman is expected later this week. Infantino had most recently secured pledges of support from Africa, Asia and South America, which would give him a majority in the election at the FIFA Congress on 18 March in Rabat, Morocco. Wenger would have to break up this alliance.

Campaign for Coe

So far, only Kozo Tashima from Japan, a member of the FIFA Council, has submitted his candidacy. However, he is not considered to have any realistic chance of being elected. Blatter has put forward the Briton Sebastian Coe, currently president of World Athletics. “Coe has, after all, already served as chairman of the FIFA Ethics Committee. He is a strong personality. A president from the home of football, from England, would be good,” said Blatter.

Blatter, during whose tenure high-ranking FIFA officials had been found to be corrupt, also called for a restriction on the powers of future FIFA presidents. “Perhaps he should only have a representative role. The rest should be handled by the FIFA Council and a chief executive. “FIFA should be run like a business,” said Blatter.

Blatter brings the CAS into the picture

Furthermore, the former FIFA president suggested taking Infantino to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne: “Because his behaviour contravenes the FIFA Statutes,” said Blatter: “He didn’t ask anyone beforehand about the Peace Prize; that’s a point that needs to be raised before the CAS.” This prize was newly created in 2025 at Infantino’s instigation and presented to Donald Trump.

In Blatter’s view, Infantino’s friendship with the US President is a general problem: “FIFA is suffering. It is currently led by a man who has allowed himself to be blinded. The meeting with Donald Trump has changed Gianni Infantino,” said Blatter: “He believes he is destined to monopolise the world’s most popular sport. However, there are now leading figures within the football organisation who do not approve of this. They want to oust him.”

According to Blatter, Infantino behaves like an autocrat within the world governing body: “He is a dictator. People at FIFA tell me that no one is allowed to ride in the lift with him. He is ‘untouchable’.”