Sylvester hits out at Infantino

Mikaël Silvestre, former star of Manchester United and Arsenal, has strongly criticized Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, stating that trust in his leadership is no longer present and calling for his resignation.

Sylvester, in statements reported by The Times, said, "We have turned a blind eye on very many occasions," referring to a number of issues he believes have affected FIFA's credibility in recent years.

The former French player has criticized several decisions and stances related to Infantino, including his tardiness to a conference and awarding U.S. President Donald Trump the FIFA Peace Prize, as well as the rising ticket prices for FIFA World Cup matches.

Sylvester has raised questions about the decisions to lift suspensions on some players, considering that the way some cases were handled raises concerns about transparency within FIFA.

The issue of selling a stake in FIFA World Cup rights to private investors was one of the main topics criticized by Sylvester, who called for an independent investigation into the matter and accountability for those responsible.

Sylvester added that "when trust is broken in this way, it cannot be repaired," emphasizing that Infantino's departure has become necessary, along with implementing wide-ranging reforms within FIFA and giving former players a greater role in the decision-making process.

The former France defender has admitted that his public stance may jeopardize his current roles with FIFA, but he emphasized that he can no longer remain silent, noting that some staff members within the international federation share his concerns, but they cannot express them publicly.