Kathmandu— European football's governing body, UEFA, has maintained its threat of boycotting FIFA competitions despite the world football body's support for its embattled president, Gianni Infantino. The English Football Association (FA) withdrew its support for Infantino following his controversial plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. UEFA stated that conditions have not been met and reiterated its loss of confidence in Infantino’s presidency.

UEFA's Conditions Unmet

UEFA made it clear that two key conditions had to be met: the withdrawal of proposals to sell off major competitions and assurances that such attempts would never be repeated. Despite FIFA acknowledging 'mistakes' regarding its Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, UEFA stated these conditions have not been satisfied.

FIFA's Response

During a meeting at FIFA headquarters in Rabat, Morocco, FIFA acknowledged that mistakes were made and expressed regret. However, the organization did not provide direct accountability for the controversy. Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom had previously criticized the FFE proposals as 'a sad and reproachable series of events.'

UEFA's Next Steps

UEFA is considering several options to address its concerns, including an emergency meeting of the FIFA Council or a vote of no confidence. However, these actions require significant support from member associations. The most immediate threat remains UEFA’s potential boycott of competitions, which could include the upcoming FIFA Women's U20 World Cup in Poland.

The situation remains tense as UEFA continues to demand answers and accountability from Infantino regarding his controversial proposals.

(With inputs from BBC News)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.