German FA chief says Infantino reform push aims at fourth term

DFB president Bernd Neuendorf dismissed Gianni Infantino's proposed governance review as a play for reelection, saying the FIFA leader lacks credibility.

German Football Federation (DFB) president Bernd Neuendorf has criticized FIFA counterpart Gianni Infantino over his plan to revisit how the governing body operates. Speaking to dpa on Tuesday, Neuendorf described the move as an "obvious manoeuvre" designed to help Infantino win another term in next year's vote.

"It seems like FIFA has finally realized that changes are essential," Neuendorf said. "However, Gianni Infantino is definitely not the right person to lead a reform process. He has completely lost all of his credibility."

The FIFA president extended an offer of dialogue on potential changes in a letter seen by dpa on Monday, which was sent to leaders of the 211 member associations and the FIFA Council. He suggested an outside, independent assessment of the organization's governance along with discussions about improving decision-making, including presidential powers.

Infantino gave no indication he would step aside or drop a run for a fourth term at the FIFA Congress in March 2027, despite calls from critics, among them UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin.

The 56-year-old has faced strong backlash over since-abandoned plans to bring private investors into FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. UEFA has raised the possibility of boycotting FIFA events and is readying legal action over the investor scheme, while neither UEFA nor CONCACAF has named a candidate to challenge Infantino.