UEFA has declared it has lost confidence in FIFA president Gianni Infantino after the collapse of his controversial proposal to sell stakes in the governing body’s competitions to private investors.
The proposal was officially abandoned on Saturday following widespread opposition from football’s major confederations, with UEFA having previously threatened to boycott FIFA competitions if the plans went ahead.
In a strongly-worded statement, European football’s governing body said the fallout had severely damaged confidence in FIFA’s leadership.
“The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family,” the statement read.
UEFA also accused Infantino of failing to deliver on the promises he made when he was elected FIFA president in 2016.
The investment proposal would have seen FIFA sell stakes in competitions including the men’s and women’s World Cups to private investors, with member associations offered $40 million (£30m) in return for backing the plans.
However, resistance from UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation ultimately forced Infantino to abandon the project.
The FIFA president admitted on Saturday that the proposal had “created divisions” that were “no longer in the interest” of its original objective.
