"Gianni Infantino is not someone who contributes to the growth of football. On the contrary, his projects are destroying the very essence of the sport." That's LaLiga president Javier Tebas, and he's not in the mood to soften it.
Tebas made the remarks to French newspaper Le Monde in the wake of Infantino's failed attempt to sell off a stake in World Cup and FIFA competition revenue to private investors — a plan shelved only after a swift and loud backlash. But Tebas was clear this isn't a knee-jerk reaction to one bad week. "I'm not saying this because of recent events; I have noticed this style of management for a long time, though everyone else seems to be discovering it only now."
UEFA has already pulled confidence — and it holds
The most significant institutional blow came from UEFA, which issued a joint statement on behalf of all 55 member nations withdrawing confidence in Infantino's leadership. When FIFA's own continental federations are going on record like that, the ground beneath the FIFA president gets considerably shakier.
UEFA didn't blink when Infantino's inner circle attempted damage control. "Yesterday's announcement that some people employed by the FIFA president (and whose careers depend on his favour) agree with him changes nothing," the confederation said bluntly.
The planned selloff was always going to be a flashpoint. Allowing private capital to buy into competition revenue streams cuts at the cooperative model that clubs and leagues depend on — and signals exactly the kind of top-down restructuring that smaller leagues fear most. Tebas called out the threat to national leagues specifically: football, he argued, isn't just the elite product Infantino keeps trying to monetise.
- Infantino's proposal to sell stakes in World Cup and FIFA competition revenue was scrapped after widespread opposition
- LaLiga's Tebas says Infantino's management style has been a concern long before this episode
- UEFA issued a unified statement of no confidence, signed off by all 55 member associations
- UEFA explicitly rejected attempts by Infantino's allies to spin the situation
For now, Infantino remains in post. But with the two most powerful football bodies in Europe — LaLiga and UEFA — publicly calling time on his presidency, the question isn't really whether his authority is damaged. It's how much is left.
