Story by Jack Otway
Gianni Infantino is facing fresh pressure to resign after Norwegian football chief Lise Klaveness revealed she will report the FIFA president to the organisation’s Ethics Committee.
Klaveness has dramatically escalated Europe’s revolt against the under-fire Swiss administrator by declaring there is “no going back” for the 56-year-old amid the deepening crisis engulfing world football.
The Norwegian FA president confirmed her position following the organisation’s monthly board meeting, while also throwing her support behind UEFA’s refusal to participate in FIFA competitions while Infantino remains in charge.
Klaveness, a 45-year-old former lawyer who has been touted as a possible future FIFA president, will now submit a complaint to FIFA’s Ethics Committee.
The independent committee has the power to investigate alleged breaches of FIFA’s rules and impose sanctions, including bans from football.
Klaveness said the complaint would raise several issues surrounding Infantino’s leadership, including the controversial proposal to sell a £3.1billion stake in the World Cup to private investors.
It will also address FIFA’s decision to award an ad hoc Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump and the decision to overturn United States striker Folarin Balogun’s World Cup suspension following his red card.
Gianni Infantino is facing fresh pressure to resign after Norwegian football chief Lise Klaveness revealed she will report the FIFA president to the organisation’s Ethics Committee | Source: GETTY© GB News
Trump previously said he asked Infantino to reverse Balogun’s suspension, although the precise circumstances surrounding FIFA’s decision have been the subject of intense scrutiny.
“The board believes that we do not have confidence in Gianni Infantino. We did not have that in the last election and we do not have it now,” Klaveness said.
“There is no going back for Gianni Infantino. The international football community is very divided, and we must unite now.
Gianni Infantino | Source: PA© GB News
“We will ask the FIFA president to resign now. There is no doubt about it: there is a deep crisis in international football cooperation.”
Explaining the decision to take the matter to FIFA’s Ethics Committee, Klaveness added: “Irreversible transgressions have occurred.
“We have reached a situation where extraordinary measures are needed to create lasting change.”
Her intervention represents another significant development as UEFA attempts to increase the pressure on Infantino.
European football’s governing body has taken the extraordinary position of refusing to participate in FIFA competitions for as long as he remains president.
Such a boycott could create substantial commercial problems for FIFA if some of the world’s biggest national teams remain absent from its tournaments.
Gianni Infantino has kept a low profile for the most part since his failed World Cup plot | Source: GETTY© GB News
Klaveness has increasingly emerged as a prominent voice within European football and has previously been suggested as a potential successor to Infantino.
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter is among those to have advocated for the Norwegian eventually replacing the current president.
However, removing Infantino remains a significant challenge.
Despite the rebellion in Europe, he continues to enjoy substantial support elsewhere in world football, including from associations across Africa, South America and Asia.
Mexico have also broken with Concacaf’s critical stance by publicly reaffirming their confidence in Infantino’s leadership.
The FIFA president received another boost on Wednesday when members of the governing body’s hierarchy offered him their “full support” following crisis talks. Infantino, meanwhile, has consequently given no indication that he intends to step aside.
