UEFA's executive committee on Monday unanimously endorsed Gianni Infantino to stand for world football's top job. The move, coming less than 10 hours before FIFA's midnight deadline for presidential bids, followed an emergency UEFA conference call of European football's top executives on Monday morning and followed consultation with national federations from “across the global football community”.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has appealed against the 90-day ban that forced him out of office, as world football's sleaze-tainted governing body headed into months of turmoil over how to find a new leader.
Asian Football Confederation chief Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has joined his African counterpart in officially backing Sepp Blatter’s bid for re-election. Last week Issa Hayatou and the Confederation of African Football executive committee “unanimously resolved” to support Blatter for a fifth term as FIFA president.