Former UEFA president Michel Platini says Gianni Infantino should leave his position as FIFA president, arguing that the current leader of world football can no longer act as a guarantor for the organisation.
Platini, who once held the UEFA presidency before being removed from the post in what was described as a notably uncompromising manner, is now calling for Infantino to face the same outcome. His demand is directed at the man who has led FIFA since 2016.
The central message from Platini is that Infantino should no longer remain in charge. In his view, the FIFA president has lost the ability to serve as the organisation’s guarantee, and should therefore step down.
The intervention carries an obvious irony. Platini is himself a former senior football administrator who was forced out of the UEFA presidency. He is now asking for the departure of Infantino, the person currently occupying the equivalent leading position at FIFA.
Platini’s criticism is focused specifically on Infantino’s suitability to continue as FIFA president. He does not present the issue as a question of a temporary difficulty or a need for limited changes. Instead, his position is that Infantino should leave the role altogether.
Infantino has been FIFA president since 2016. That fact provides the basic background to Platini’s comments and identifies the length of time the Swiss-Italian administrator has been at the head of the international governing body.
The remarks therefore place two former and current figures from football’s governing structure in direct contrast. Platini previously led UEFA but was removed from that office. Infantino has been in charge of FIFA for the past decade, and Platini is now demanding that he give up the presidency.
Platini’s conclusion is clear: Infantino must go. His argument is that the FIFA president can no longer fulfil the role of guarantor, making his continued leadership untenable.
The comments represent a call for a change at the top of FIFA rather than an endorsement of Infantino’s continued authority. Platini’s own experience of being pushed out of the UEFA presidency forms the notable backdrop to the statement, while Infantino’s tenure as FIFA president since 2016 provides the current context.
At its heart, the dispute is about whether Infantino should remain FIFA president. Platini says he should not, and is calling for the same kind of departure that he himself previously experienced at UEFA.