German FA chief calls Gianni Infantino's reform pledge a 'transparent ploy' for re-election

The president of the German Football Association, Bernd Neuendorf, has branded Gianni Infantino's reform letter to member federations a "transparent ploy" aimed at keeping him in power at FIFA. The German official responded on Tuesday to the message the FIFA president sent on Monday evening to all 211 member associations and Council members, in which he promised an independent review of the governance framework. The blunt response deepens the rift between FIFA and much of European football ahead of the presidential election in March 2027.

• The German Football Association sees Infantino's letter as a strategy to secure votes before the 2027 re-election.
• Infantino proposes an independent external review of FIFA's current governance framework.
• The FIFA president insists his plan to sell a stake in tournaments never compromised the body's independence.
• UEFA, several Asian federations and Concacaf have already shown opposition to Infantino remaining in office.

Infantino's letter to all 211 FIFA member associations

Gianni Infantino sent a letter on Monday evening to every member association and to the members of the FIFA Council. In the document, the president proposed an "independent external review of FIFA's current governance framework". The message arrives at a moment of intense pressure on his leadership, after he was forced to withdraw the project to sell a 20 percent stake in FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup, to private investors. In the letter, which according to several media outlets has circulated widely, the official argues that the sell-off scheme never put "FIFA's democratic processes, independence and sporting authority" up for sale.

Bernd Neuendorf's response from the German FA

Bernd Neuendorf's response was immediate. "I regard Gianni Infantino's letter as a transparent ploy to secure his re-election next year," he said on Tuesday. The DFB president went further and questioned the Swiss-Italian official's ability to lead any change: "Fundamentally, FIFA now seems to have recognised that changes are essential. However, Gianni Infantino is definitely not the right person to lead a reform process. He has squandered all credibility."

European opposition to FIFA's tournament sale plan

The crisis erupted when Infantino was forced to abandon the plan to sell private investors a 20 percent stake in FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup. UEFA led the calls for the president to resign, even threatening to boycott FIFA competitions. Numerous European federations officially withdrew their support for Infantino's re-election bid, while additional opposition came from the Asian confederation and Concacaf, which represents countries in North and Central America plus the Caribbean.

The history of disputes between the DFB and Infantino

The German Football Association has been distancing itself from Gianni Infantino for some time. Even before the World Cup-related scandals unfolded, the DFB had already decided not to endorse the president for a new term. "The DFB has not signed a letter of support for the re-election of Gianni Infantino," the governing body stated in July. "Further steps will be discussed in the DFB presidential board." Germany's stance has remained firm since then, and this week's letter has only reinforced that mistrust.

Oliver Bierhoff's doubts about the commercial direction

Former Germany national team director Oliver Bierhoff has also voiced the loss of trust in Infantino's management. "We have to take care of football," he said. "It is already commercial but it is a property for all of football. The world views may be different but in the last weeks and months a lot happened so that we have no trust any more that it will be going in the right direction." His words reflect the unease felt in Germany and across much of European football over what is seen as an overly aggressive commercialisation of the sport.

What is at stake ahead of the 2027 presidential election

FIFA's electoral calendar sets the next presidential contest for March 2027, and debate over governance has become the central issue of the pre-campaign. Infantino is trying to rebuild support with his proposal for an external review, while federations such as the German one believe his time at the helm is over. The withdrawal of the plan to sell stakes in tournaments left the president in a fragile position, with UEFA leading the criticism and an opposition front stretching across three continental confederations.