Leading European clubs are supporting UEFA Secretary General, Gianni Infantino, in his bid to become president of football governing body FIFA, FC Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said on Tuesday.
“We haven’t got a vote but in the spirit of football we are supporting Gianni Infantino,’’ Rummenigge, who also chairs the European Club Association (ECA), told newsmen in Paris.
Rummenigge, speaking on the fringe of an ECA general assembly in Paris, said the clubs had always been able to work “in a position of trust’’ with Infantino.
Infantino is one of five candidates standing in the election on Feb. 26 in Zurich to succeed banned outgoing president Sepp Blatter.
Other contenders for the FIFA top job include Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman of Bahrain and former FIFA vice president Prince Ali of Jordan.
The rest are former FIFA official Jerome Champagne of France and South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale.
On Monday, the federations of Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Poland and Slovakia said they would all vote for Infantino.
Meanwhile, European body UEFA’s executive committee has unanimously endorsed Infantino, but it is not clear if all 53 UEFA members will also give him their backing.
He will need a majority of the 105 votes from the 209 FIFA member-federations.
The African confederation CAF has endorsed Sheikh Salman, but it appears that not all African federations will follow the recommendation.
Liberian federation president Musa Bility was reported as saying on Monday that at least 26 nations will vote independently.
Liberia is to support Prince Ali, while South Sudan has pledged to vote for Infantino.
