Arsene Wenger FIFA presidency bid, Digi Mart USA News: Former Arsenal manager and FIFA’s chief of global football Arsene Wenger is considering a bid for the FIFA presidency. The Frenchman is reportedly thinking of entering the race and is considered a potential unity candidate because of his high profile within FIFA’s member associations.
It is understood that he would serve only one term.
With the 18 November deadline approaching for candidates to come forward, FIFA Council member and former JFA chief Kohzo Tashima of Japan and Ramon Vega, a former Tottenham Hotspur player, have said they want to run against incumbent Gianni Infantino. Vega may not secure the backing of the five member associations required to stand.
UEFA sources say Wenger is viewed as a serious candidate, but not necessarily the preferred one. UEFA and various European officials maintain that they will present a strong and credible candidate to challenge Infantino, whose plan to sell off the World Cup caused FIFA’s biggest governance crisis since 2015.
Wenger has strong football knowledge and a good understanding of FIFA. As Arsenal manager, however, he was one of the Premier League’s most outspoken critics of the international calendar and its impact on club football and player workload.
Wenger became FIFA’s global chief of football in 2019 and has since focused on the organisation’s mission of developing the game around the world. He was recently present at FIFA’s U-15 World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Wenger previously said he had no knowledge of Infantino’s World Cup investor plans, stating that he was “not involved” in them and had first learned of the plans through news reports. He said: “The decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond question, because I firmly believe in an independent FIFA that serves our game with commitment, transparency, and integrity.”
FIFA will stage presidential elections at next year’s annual congress in Rabat, Morocco, in March.
