A coalition of supporters' organizations called on Thursday for the departure of FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, after his failed plan to open up to private investors, as well as for a "fundamental reform" of the world football governing body.

"Football belongs to the people who fill the stadiums, follow their clubs and national teams through triumphs and sorrows (...) Yet one man seems to think he is more important," write the European, African and North American supporters' organizations, as well as some forty national associations.

In a petition on the Change.org platform, signatories are calling for the resignation of Gianni Infantino, believing that his commercial company project revealed this summer "is just the culmination of a series of attacks" carried out by the Italian-Swiss leader, who is still in the running for a new term on March 18.

"From his clandestine involvement in the European Super League (a private competition project thwarted in 2021, editor's note) to the aborted project of a World Cup every two years, from the exorbitant pricing policy for the 2026 World Cup to the culture of intimidation and personal power he has developed within international football, Gianni Infantino has betrayed his office and football as a whole," accuse the supporters' representatives.

Beyond his personal case, they believe that "removing an individual will not, in itself, be enough to repair the damage", demanding "total transparency around major decisions" of FIFA, as well as "involvement" of stakeholders and control mechanisms of the executive.

"If FIFA presidents go crazy the minute they are elected, there's no point in starting another 10-year cycle that ends up exactly the same. To avoid a meltdown of this magnitude, a thorough reform is needed," Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe, told AFP.

According to several sources, UEFA has no opponent to oppose Gianni Infantino, but is working on a proposal for a rotating FIFA presidency, alternating between the confederations, like that of the European Union.

"Since they have no candidate, we might as well blow up the system," summarizes Ronan Evain, judging the idea "interesting" to limit the concentration of power.