Europe got to work/ Moves to choose Infantino's unexpected rival

Influential figures in European football are secretly working to choose a candidate who can compete with Johnny Infantino, the president of the International Football Federation (FIFA), in the elections next March.

British newspaper The Telegraph reported on Thursday, citing two informed sources, that secretive efforts are underway in Europe to introduce a rival candidate before the November 18 deadline. The purpose of these efforts is to preserve the confidentiality of the candidate's identity and disrupt Infantino's calculations and reduce the time left for him to face any possible challenge.

Infantino, 56, appeared to be on course for a new term as president unopposed after gaining the support of around 200 of FIFA's 211 member federations. However, his position has been shaken in recent months by criticism of World Cup-related business plans and other controversial issues.

The moves come as Infantino tries to strengthen his influence, particularly in Africa, and win more support among national federations. These efforts come after the chances of a number of possible candidates to run against him have been reduced.

Victor Montagliani, president of the North, Central and Caribbean Football Confederation, had been touted as one of the main options to challenge Infantino in Europe, but he decided to focus on being re-elected to lead his continental confederation. Meanwhile, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the president of Paris Saint-Germain, and Lise Clavins, the president of the Norwegian Football Federation, withdrew from the competition.

Instead, several names have been floated as possible options, including former Arsenal manager and FIFA head of football development Arsene Wenger, and former Portugal star Luis Figo, along with Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation, and Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, former president of the Jordanian Football Federation, and Michel Kang, owner of French club Lyon and the Washington Spirit and London City Lions women's teams.

Figo publicly called for Infantino's resignation last August, boosting his profile among the candidates some in the opposition favor against the incumbent. However, none of these people have officially announced their candidacy, and it is also unclear whether the desired candidate that the European parties are trying to attract belongs to this list or not.

In response to a question about the identity of the possible candidate, one of the sources familiar with these movements said: "The risks are very high", which indicates the sensitivity of this stage and the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of communications until the preparations are completed.

Infantino's presidency is under increased pressure due to rising tensions with UEFA, which is reportedly ready to take legal action and demand documents to be used in possible action in Switzerland.

Also, his relationship with US President Donald Trump has been scrutinized ahead of the November 3 mid-term congressional elections.

Meanwhile, former IOC marketing chief Michael Payne said Infantino's lack of a serious challenger remained a surprise and warned that his re-election would be a new sign of his ability to overcome political crises in world football.

When he took office, Infantino had pledged to reform FIFA after the scandals surrounding his successor, Sepp Blatter, and sat on a reform committee that passed laws requiring the federation to disclose the salaries and financial benefits of its top officials. However, the Telegraph report noted recent requests for clarification on claims that an additional salary worth £1.3m was not fully disclosed.

While the identity of the possible candidate is not yet known, it seems that the coming days will be decisive to determine whether the European efforts will lead to the introduction of a united and capable candidate to defeat the consensus created in favor of Infantino, or whether the FIFA president will once again manage to contain his opponents and approach the fourth and final term of his presidency.