UEFA declares no confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino

Gianni Infantino's decade-long position as president of FIFA comes under scrutiny amid backlash following his failed bid to sell off portions of the World Cup to private equity investors.

The Union of European Football Association declares no confidence in Infantino, and says those responsible for the controversial privatisation plan should be held accountable.

The European soccer body headed by Aleksander Ceferin delivers a statement on Saturday which says "no option should be off the table" and that the current FIFA leadership has lost UEFA's confidence and many other members of the football family.

UEFA adds they cannot keep going on like this "with secret schemes on fast-track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game."

It further pledges to pursue a full review with its associations and other confederations to devise a plan so that "it cannot occur again."

UEFA earlier accused FIFA of "selling the soul of football" after details leaked of Infantino's proposal to hand over a stake in the World Cup's commercial, broadcasting, and ticketing rights through a $20 billion subsidiary named FIFA Forward Enterprise.

Infantino was forced to scrap the plan after widespread backlash. His senior adviser, who sat on a white house panel, resigned, and Asia's soccer body joined Europe and North America in opposing the plan.

The secrecy surrounding the creation of the commercial venture has also fractured internal relationships. In a statement issued to the Associated Press, FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour says the FIFA staff were deceived by Infantino's lack of openness.

The collapse of the World Cup sell-off plan, which was abandoned in the face of unprecedented European and international munity, has accelerated plans by some regional confederations to unseat the sitting president, with the critical deadline for the next FIFA election set for November 18th.

The head of European leagues Claudius Schaefer tells a Swiss newspaper that after seeing how this whole thing unfolded, "there's essentially only one consequence in any company or association."