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See the full story · 5 sourcesFIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger (left) has distanced himself from President Gianni Infantino's (right) controversial private investment plans -Credit:Jurij Kodrun - FIFA, FIFA via Getty Images
Arsene Wenger has sought to separate himself from Gianni Infantino as the World Cup investment controversy threatens to bring down the embattled FIFA President.
UEFA is actively working to engineer Infantino's removal from his role at the helm of world soccer's governing body. Infantino finds himself at the center of significant opposition following his announcement of contentious plans to sell ownership shares in competitions like the World Cup to external investors.
He was compelled to reverse course after UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation joined forces to oppose the confidential proposal. There is now a coordinated push to oust Infantino, who had been prepared to pursue a fourth presidential term, as per The Mirror .
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-Credit:Toya Sarno Jordan - FIFA, FIFA via Getty Images
Wenger is employed by FIFA and was frequently spotted sitting next to Infantino throughout this summer's World Cup. Following some criticism for his lack of comment on the matter, the former Arsenal manager has chosen to release a statement.
"At FIFA, I am the chief of global football development," Wenger said. "Together with my team, I oversee the data analysis of the game, the FIFA online training centre, the development of youth education through 60 academies across 60 countries where they are most needed, and youth competitions around the world.
"In addition, I am a technical adviser to IFAB. I was not involved in this strategic plan and first became aware of the project through media reports. The decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond question, because I firmly believe in an independent FIFA that serves our game with commitment, transparency, and integrity."
Infantino is still attempting to retain power and has secured support from the football associations of Qatar, UAE, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Lebanon and Kuwait. However, the Swiss beaucorcrat is still staring down a critical situation, with UEFA spearheading efforts to oust him and some within FIFA seemingly supporting the campaign.
An email from FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström to staff members, revealed by Sky News, characterizes recent developments as "sad and reproachable" and observes that "individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go."
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Meanwhile, UEFA and their supporters are prepared to boycott FIFA tournaments and could create their own competitions. European soccer's governing body has urged their members to withdraw their backing of Infantino for re-election in a bid to trigger his resignation.
If the FIFA President declines to step down, then his adversaries will rally behind an alternative candidate in the forthcoming election. Contenders must submit their nominations before November 18.
UEFA has also warned of legal proceedings against FIFA, stating in a correspondence: "UEFA hereby gives formal notice that it is actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints arising out of and in connection with the FFE plan proposed by Fifa and all related matters.
"You and Fifa are required to take immediate steps to identify, locate, and preserve all documents and electronically stored information described in this notice that are in your or Fifa's possession, custody, or control.
"These obligations arise independently of any internal retention policy you or your organisation maintain and supersede any routine document destruction or deletion policies that would otherwise apply."
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