Aug 24 (Reuters) - A group of former international players, including World Cup winners and FIFA legends, called on Monday for immediate change at world soccer's governing body, saying its leadership under embattled President Gianni Infantino had been blinded by power.
Infantino has been under mounting pressure to resign after shelving his now abandoned proposal to create a commercial body for FIFA tournament rights and sell off 20% to private investors.
The Swiss has shown no signs of walking away
from the position he has held since 2016 despite open opposition from several of FIFA's own confederations, including UEFA, the AFC and CONCACAF, amid talks of a potential no-confidence vote.
"We share the exact same concerns as the millions of fans around the world," said former players including France's 1998 men's World Cup winners Emmanuel Petit, Bixente Lizarazu and Robert Pires as well as American former women's world champion Briana Scurry and former England international Lucy Bronze.
"Like them, we have watched the game we love drift away from its core values under FIFA's current leadership. Change is necessary. Power has blurred the current leadership's ability to distinguish between its own interests and what is best for football," the group said.
Reuters has contacted FIFA for comment.
The group also includes former Peru forward Claudio Pizarro, former Argentina international Juan Sebastian Veron, former Togo captain Emmanuel Adebayor, and FIFA legends Didier Drogba and David James.
FIFA legends are former players recognised for their contributions to the sport who help promote football on behalf of the global body, playing in exhibition matches and supporting social and charity projects worldwide.
"We call on all stakeholders to step forward and help reshape the future of our sport. There are good people within FIFA who want to rebuild trust, but a new era requires a structural change: a real, direct say for players and fans in how football is run," the group said.
Infantino is up for re-election next year but world soccer’s regional powerhouses are discussing whether to move a vote of no confidence in him ahead of the ballot, senior figures familiar with the discussions told Reuters last week.
"Those who step onto the pitch and those who sit in the stands deserve a genuine voice to help reshape football's future together. For the fans, for the players, and for the good of the game, we will be silent no more," the players' group said.
(Reporting by Tim Hart, Writing by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Ed Osmond)
