Gianni Infantino eyes junior tournament in Dominican Republic as potential route out of crisis

Gianni Infantino wants to split the European and North American coalition that is seeking to oust him by attending a junior tournament in the Dominican Republic this weekend in another gamble to cling on to power from the Fifa president.

The Guardian has learned that Infantino has made plans to attend the U14 Boys Challenge competition organised by the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), 21 of whose associations are voting members of Fifa, despite being urged to stay away from the event by senior figures within the regional confederation Concacaf – the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football – which is working with Uefa to remove him.

Infantino will come face-to-face with the man widely viewed as his most credible challenger, Concacaf president Victor Montagliani, if he follows through with his intention to travel to the Dominican Republic, whose FA invited him to attend before the World Cup sell-off plan emerged last month.

The Dominican Republic has since backed the joint Uefa, Concacaf and Asian Football Confederation statement calling for Infantino to hold an independent review of the Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal, as well as an emergency meeting of the Fifa Council.

Infantino has largely fallen back on the support of his most steadfast allies by spending time in Morocco and Qatar as the storm has raged over the last month, but is understood to view the CFU meetings as a good opportunity split the Concacaf block and lobby for votes from the region’s smaller nations ahead of next March’s presidential election.

Concacaf’s most successful nation, Mexico, is defying the confederation by backing Infantino, who has also received support from two CFU members Grenada and St Kitts and Nevis.

Infantino is also understood to have received a private endorsement from Panama, but they have yet to publicly confirm their position.

The Boys Challenge and CFU meetings are not Fifa events, so Infantino’s plan to attend has raised eyebrows. Fifa declined to comment when asked about the president’s movements.

Uefa, Concacaf and the AFC are continuing to explore calling for a vote of no confidence in Infantino, which would bring the matter to a head before next year’s election.

Under Fifa’s statutes, the Fifa council can convene an extraordinary congress at any time if 43 of Fifa’s 211 member associations submit a written request specifying the items they want on the agenda, which can include no-confidence votes.

An extraordinary congress must then be convened within three months, although the governing body’s statutes contain no specific provision regarding a vote of no confidence in its president.

Infantino came under renewed pressure earlier today with worldwide fans’ groups launching a petition calling for his resignation.

Fans are being encouraged to sign the petition, which already has support from all six Fifa confederations spanning continental and national fan groups.

“The shameful attempt by one individual – the Fifa president himself – to sell off the World Cup to private investors exposed a betrayal football will never forget,” a statement on behalf of the fan organisations said. “Infantino’s plan was stitched together in secret. Negotiated behind closed doors. Hidden from Fifa’s own members and from the millions of people whose passion makes football what it is.

“A president who repeatedly betrays football and makes a mockery of our game has lost the right to lead it,” the statement continued. “For the credibility of Fifa – and for the future of the game – he must resign.”