Danish FA chief says FIFA Legal Committee evaded questions on Infantino proposal

Sept 12 - Denmark's football chief said on Saturday that FIFA declined to answer "critical questions" at a Legal Committee meeting about its abandoned proposal to sell commercial stakes in tournaments as he renewed calls for President Gianni Infantino to step down.

Danish FA (DBU) President Jesper Moller said he was surprised that the now-abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise was not on the agenda and was frustrated by the world soccer governing body's evasive response to his inquiries.

"I naturally used the meeting to ask a number of critical questions about the process, which I still consider to have been deeply problematic," Moller said in a statement.

"I am surprised that FIFA Forward Enterprise has not been discussed by the Legal Committee, which is precisely the body that should be consulted on legal matters concerning FIFA.

"But unfortunately, it proved impossible to get answers to the questions, as FIFA wants to await the discussion at the upcoming Council meeting in October.

"This would clearly have been a good opportunity for FIFA's leadership to explain itself."

Reuters has contacted FIFA for comment.

The FIFA Council comprises 37 members including president Infantino, eight vice-presidents and 28 other members elected by the member associations.

"We will continue to push for answers and I am confident that we will get to the bottom of this completely unacceptable matter," Moller added.

"The meeting confirmed that FIFA cannot rebuild its credibility under the current leadership. The time has come for a change of president at FIFA."

'CREDIBLE ALTERNATIVE' TO INFANTINO

Last month, the DBU vowed to find a credible alternative to Infantino in next year's election, saying it had lost confidence in the Swiss-Italian after his aborted proposal to sell commercial stakes in FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup.

"I will continue working closely with my European colleagues to find a candidate who can command a majority. There is no trust in Infantino and FIFA's leadership," Moller said.

FIFA had apologised to member associations for mistakes made over the abandoned proposal, but its leadership reaffirmed support for Infantino after a crisis meeting in Morocco.

The DBU said Infantino's proposal had created "a fundamental crisis of confidence in FIFA's leadership" that could not be repaired by withdrawals or apologies.

However, Infantino can count on enough votes to win re-election, meaning his opponents will need to shift strategy and focus on curbing his powers, multiple sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters.

The FIFA presidential election will take place in Rabat on March 18, 2027.

Infantino's plan prompted a global backlash, with UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and North America's CONCACAF among those calling for change at the top of FIFA while the possibility of a no-confidence vote was also discussed.

Several European national associations have since withdrawn backing for Infantino's re-election, including the French Football Federation on Thursday, while Austria's FA (OFB) also withdrew support.

"The Supervisory Board of the OFB unanimously decided not to support Gianni Infantino's renewed candidacy as FIFA President," it said in a statement.

"The basis for this decision is the developments of recent weeks and months and the resulting significant changes in the framework conditions." REUTERS