Switzerland withdraws support for Gianni Infantino and demands FIFA transparency

The Swiss Football Association has taken a firm stand and pulled its support for Gianni Infantino after a period of deep controversy surrounding FIFA. World football's governing body is going through a phase of intense internal tension, made worse by the collapse of the plan to privatize its competitions and by the intervention that lifted Folarin Balogun's suspension during the last World Cup. The Swiss stance is a particularly hard blow for the official, who now sees his home country turn its back on him just as his future at the helm of the organization is being considered.

• The Swiss FA has demanded a thorough reassessment of FIFA's actions in recent months.
• The failed plan to privatize competitions has seriously damaged Infantino's image.
• The lifting of Folarin Balogun's suspension, allegedly pushed by Donald Trump, raised doubts about the World Cup's integrity.
• Peter Knäbel is calling for transparency, accountability and institutional responsibility at FIFA.
• Switzerland is no longer backing Infantino as a candidate for re-election.

Peter Knäbel calls for a full review of Infantino's leadership

Peter Knäbel, president of the Swiss Football Association, has spoken clearly about the current situation at FIFA. His message boils down to a direct demand: there needs to be a thorough reassessment of what has happened over the past few months. This is not a minor warning, but a call to review how the organization's most sensitive issues have been handled.

According to Knäbel, FIFA must uphold the highest standards of transparency, accountability and institutional responsibility. The Swiss federation believes those conditions are not currently being met, which led to its decision to withdraw support for Infantino.

The failed privatization plan that weakened the FIFA president

One of the chapters that has damaged Infantino's standing the most was his attempt to hand over the commercial rights to FIFA competitions to private investors. The proposal never went through: most confederations opposed it and the project was blocked. That episode left the president's image badly weakened and pushed him into a position of isolation, with Morocco as a temporary refuge.

Credibility, transparency, accountability and the effective participation of the statutorily responsible bodies are essential to build trust in FIFA's leadership.

The Folarin Balogun case and Donald Trump's shadow over the World Cup

The Folarin Balogun case has been another trigger for the crisis. The United States player saw his suspension lifted during the World Cup, a decision that raised serious questions about the integrity of the tournament. According to reports, Infantino came under pressure from Donald Trump and allegedly intervened on the eve of the match against Belgium, an intrusion that cast doubt on the cleanliness of the competition.

What Infantino now faces in a possible re-election bid

The loss of international backing comes at a particularly delicate moment for the FIFA president. Several countries have already begun to distance themselves from his re-election bid, and the Swiss move carries enormous symbolic weight given that it is his home nation. Losing the support of the Swiss federation makes an already difficult landscape even harder for the Italian-Swiss official.

Frequently asked questions about Infantino's crisis at FIFA