FIFA's president held off an internal revolt. Next up is a hotly contested election
- FIFA president Gianni Infantino managed to stave off an internal revolt during a summit meeting in Morocco.
- UEFA criticized Infantino's failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup, demanding assurances against such attempts in the future.
- FIFA issued an apology over the equity plan, and senior staff reaffirmed their support for Infantino's presidency.
- Infantino faces a vote in March among 211 national member federations to retain his presidency, needing a simple majority.
- The English FA and several other federations have withdrawn their support for Infantino.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino held off the potential of an internal revolt during a summit meeting in Morocco this week. A scathing response from European soccer’s governing body on Thursday, however, showed that he still has a fight on his hands to hold onto power.
UEFA blasted Infantino and his organization again over his failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup, declaring it wants assurances that "attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again." The reaction revealed the depths of animosity toward Infantino as he attempts to run for re-election next year while trying to quell outrage over the equity plan.
FIFA issued an apology on Wednesday over the plan, and senior staff members at a crisis meeting in Rabat "reaffirmed their full support" for his presidency. The UEFA response shows how the apology will not be enough to satisfy his fiercest detractors, who want a change at the top of FIFA. That process will play out in the coming months with a vote in March among the 211 national member federations.
Infantino left New York with around 200 letters of support from those federations. That number is likely to be depleted now, but it is not clear how many of those individual federations would turn against him when it comes to the vote. Infantino faces a challenging election ahead.
国际足联主席抵御内部叛乱，接下来是激烈的选举
国际足联主席詹尼·因凡蒂诺在摩洛哥的峰会上成功抵御了一次内部叛乱。然而，欧洲足球协会联盟（UEFA）周四的强烈反应表明，他仍然面临着保住权力的斗争。
UEFA再次抨击因凡蒂诺及其组织未能成功的世界杯股份出售计划，表示希望获得保证，"此类扭曲比赛的尝试将不再出现。"这一反应揭示了对因凡蒂诺的敌意深度，因为他试图在明年竞选连任的同时平息对股权计划的愤怒。
国际足联在周三就该计划发表了道歉，危机会议上的高级员工"重申了对他主席职务的全力支持"。UEFA的反应表明，这一道歉不足以满足他最强烈的反对者，他们希望在国际足联的高层进行变革。这个过程将在未来几个月内进行，投票将在211个国家会员协会中进行。
因凡蒂诺从纽约出发时携带了约200封来自这些协会的支持信。这个数字现在可能会减少，但尚不清楚在投票时有多少个别协会会反对他。因凡蒂诺面临着一场具有挑战性的选举。