UEFA lifts the boycott on FIFA but maintains pressure on Gianni Infantino

In recent weeks, the relationship between UEFA and FIFA has been marked by a strong dispute regarding the management of Gianni Infantino. Now, the conflict seems to have entered a moment of partial truce, as the European body has decided to lift the boycott on international competitions, although it will maintain its offensive against the president of the world entity to prevent his reelection.

According to the British newspaper The Times, the entity from the Old Continent received sufficient guarantees that the initiative will not be promoted again. The two conditions it had set to lift the measure have already been met: FIFA withdrew the FIFA Forward Enterprise investment project (FFE) at the end of July, following the strong backlash it generated, and also assured that it will not carry out a similar proposal in the future.

The decision will be communicated this Thursday in Monaco, during a meeting of the main UEFA leaders with the 55 federations that make up the organization. In this way, European teams and clubs will be able to continue participating normally in the various competitions organized by FIFA.

The lifting of the boycott, however, does not imply a rapprochement between the two institutions. The European body maintains its strong opposition to Infantino, and Aleksander Čeferin has publicly called for the removal of the FIFA president. The Slovenian leader believes that Infantino should understand that he has lost support, not only among the voting members but also within the football community, including fans, players, former players, and coaches.

On the other hand, Čeferin also left open the possibility that the dispute could carry over to the upcoming FIFA elections, scheduled for March. If Infantino decides to run again, the UEFA president assured that there will be a candidate willing to face him, although he has not yet revealed who that might be.

In addition to political pressure, there is also a legal avenue. In early August, UEFA sent a letter from its lawyers in the United States in which it warned that it is considering initiating legal actions, arbitration procedures, and possible regulatory complaints against FIFA regarding the FFE.

Furthermore, the European body demanded that Infantino, FIFA, and 14 other executives preserve all documentation related to the initiative. "You and FIFA are required to take immediate steps to identify, locate, and preserve all documents and electronically stored information described in this notice that are in your possession, custody, or control, or in that of FIFA", the document stated.

Thus, the end of the boycott represents a relief for international competitions, but not the end of the dispute between the two highest bodies of football. UEFA agrees to compete again under FIFA's umbrella, although it maintains its political and legal offensive against Infantino.