Norwegian Football Association President Klavenes criticized FIFA President Gianni Infantino for being "severely damaged" due to a boycott of his investment plans.
"My very clear feeling is that he has lost a lot of trust," Cravenes said in Oslo on Friday. The lawyer, known for his criticism of Infantino, also said that the FIFA president's re-election campaign "has not been strengthened by this incident."
She also stated that Infantino's demand for member associations to express their support for his plan by September 19th was "absolutely blackmail, regardless of whether it's illegal or not. At best, it's inappropriate." She added that this term was also mentioned during a meeting of UEFA member associations on Thursday.
Clavénes did not elaborate on her views regarding Infantino. When asked what these events meant for his future, she said, "Before this incident, 200 countries had sent letters of support to Infantino, and we were not among them. But in my opinion, his credibility has been significantly damaged. However, we haven't discussed this matter yet."
Kraveness described the situation as "very serious" for Norway and international football, adding that the past few days have been dramatic. She also praised UEFA President Ceferin's leadership on the issue as "inspiringly clear," stating that he had made it clear: "Enough is enough!"
Cravenes emphasized that "nobody" in Europe knew about FIFA's plans. She added, "FIFA doesn't need this money—and even if it did, this isn't the way to get it." She stated that football belongs to the people and must be "governed democratically" in the future. "We must use this moment to strengthen democratic processes," Cravenes urged, "because if checks and balances fail in one organization, we will all face the same problem."
