German federation won’t support Infantino in Thursday’s FIFA election

The German Football Federation (DFB) will not support Gianni Infantino in Thursday’s FIFA presidential election, despite there being no other candidate.

Infantino is almost certain to be re-elected as FIFA President at the FIFA Congress in Kigali, Rwanda, but many European countries, including Germany, are dissatisfied with some of his recent decisions.

“In recent weeks, we have received no or only insufficient information from FIFA on various issues,” DFB president Bernd Neuendorf said in a statement on Wednesday.

The world governing body must “become much more open and transparent in its dealings with national associations.

“It should explain in its own interest how and why certain decisions came about and who was involved in them. This has not always been the case lately.”

The football federations of Norway and Sweden have also said they would not actively support Infantino’s re-election.

Germany wants a migrant worker fund set up by FIFA to compensate those harmed while building the stadiums for last year’s Qatar World Cup.

It also demands answers to why a Saudi sponsorship of this year’s women’s World Cup is being considered, among other issues.

Infantino has been in office since 2016.

Since he initially took over the remaining term of the suspended Joseph Blatter, another re-election in 2027 until 2031 is possible, according to FIFA statutes.

dpa/NAN