Ceferin launches scathing attack on Infantino: 'The emperor is naked'

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin launched a fierce attack on his FIFA counterpart Gianni Infantino during a speech to European clubs in Copenhagen on Tuesday. The Slovenian official borrowed from Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale 'The Emperor's New Clothes' as he urged clubs to say "enough" and pull their support for the Swiss over his handling of a plan to bring private investors into the World Cup's new commercial vehicle.

• Ceferin compared Infantino to the naked emperor from Andersen's tale in front of European clubs gathered in Copenhagen.
• The UEFA president called on clubs to withdraw backing for Infantino over secret talks about private investment in the World Cup business.
• Ceferin also criticised FIFA's handling of the Folarin Balogun case, whose ban was suspended after a call from Donald Trump to Infantino.
• Javier Tebas branded the Balogun episode "the most serious incident in the history of football".
• Nasser Al Khelaifi and UEFA have warned they will find a credible candidate to challenge Infantino if he seeks re-election.

Ceferin uses Andersen's tale to expose Infantino's lack of transparency

Ceferin chose Copenhagen, the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, to deliver a blistering critique of Infantino's leadership at FIFA. The Slovenian recalled the fable of the monarch who parades without clothes while his court pretends to admire a nonexistent outfit: "An emperor is persuaded that he is wearing magnificent clothes – clothes which, he is told, only the foolish or unfit cannot see. His court goes along with it. Until a child simply says aloud what everyone can see: the emperor is naked," Ceferin said.

The UEFA president drew a direct lesson for world football: convenient words cannot change uncomfortable realities. "Selling part of football's future does not become development because you call it development. Putting a fait accompli in front of national associations does not become democratisation because you call it democratisation, however big the cheque is. And secrecy does not become consultation because you call it consultation," he stated.

The private investor plan that sparked the UEFA-FIFA crisis

The trigger for the clash is the project pushed by Infantino to attract private capital into the new commercial vehicle that will manage World Cup rights. The initiative was developed without informing FIFA's member associations or even its own Council, which learned about the plan only when it was nearly finalised.

Ceferin laid out a hypothetical scenario for the clubs to illustrate the gravity of the situation: "Imagine one of your senior executives secretly negotiating away control of your club's crown jewels. You didn't know. Your board didn't know. Your players didn't know. Your fans didn't know. By the time you find out, the deal is almost done. What would your board do?" the Slovenian asked.

The Folarin Balogun case reignites criticism of FIFA's governance

Ceferin also pointed to FIFA's handling of the Folarin Balogun case, after the United States striker's one-match ban was suspended following a phone call from US president Donald Trump to Infantino. "Imagine that same person creates an award for a politician, and then soon after, that politician takes a phone, calls, and the rules are not the same any more. How many times would this have to happen at your clubs before the board says enough? Well, my friends, I think it's time to say enough," he declared.

On the same day, LaLiga president Javier Tebas called the Balogun episode "the most serious incident in the history of football" while speaking at a summit organised by FIFPro. Tebas demanded a profound change in the governance model: "When you are presiding over UEFA, FIFA or Concacaf, where your decisions affect many more stakeholders across the industry, the point is to reach an agreement. Consultation is not enough for me. They tell you their views, you raise your concerns, and then they go ahead and do what they want. That is not how it should work. That model has to change," he said.

The Spanish executive went further by linking the current situation to the Joseph Blatter era: "We are going to live through some important months in the world of football, but we must not repeat what happened with Infantino's arrival, when Blatter was removed, with everything that happened, only to have different people with the same ideas. There needs to be someone who can devise a change in governance," he warned.

Al Khelaifi joins the public front against FIFA

European Club Association chairman Nasser Al Khelaifi, arguably the most powerful figure in the European club game, also spoke out publicly against Infantino in his address just before Ceferin's. "It is really sad to see the situation today. Instead of improving our game, we are wasting our time dealing with problems and issues. Football works when we listen to each other, when we are transparent between us, but most of all when we are honest. And whatever our differences, football is bigger and more important than any one of us," he said.

Al Khelaifi also announced plans to expand the ECA and create World Football Clubs, a move that would further strengthen the organisation's position as a key player in the global game.

UEFA prepares an alternative to Infantino ahead of the 2026 elections

UEFA and Ceferin have previously called on Infantino to stand down. The European body has warned it will identify a credible candidate to challenge the Swiss if he seeks re-election next year, although time is running out with the candidacy deadline set for 18 November.

Tensions reached a new peak hours before Ceferin's speech when FIFA accused UEFA of "harassment" after the European confederation sought disclosure of documents related to the private investor plan through the US courts.