Former Spurs defender Ramon Vega declares intention to rival Gianni Infantino

[p]Infantino, who is seeking re-election in March, has faced mounting opposition since his failed ‌attempt in July to bring private investors into a new ‌FIFA commercial entity holding rights linked to competitions including the World Cup.[/p][p]Vega, ‌55, represented Switzerland from 1993 to 2001 and enjoyed a ‌club career that included spells with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cagliari/SCGVmKHb/"]Cagliari[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tottenham/UDg08Ohm/"]Spurs[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/celtic/QFKRRD8M/"]Celtic[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/watford/UmMRoGzp/"]Watford[/a].[/p][p]He won the League Cup with Spurs in 1999 before helping Celtic complete a domestic treble ‌in the 2000/01 season, lifting the Scottish Premier ⁠League, Scottish Cup and Scottish ‌League Cup.[/p][p]"[b]My purpose is straightforward: to serve football and the people who ​give the game its life[/b]," Vega said in his manifesto.[/p][p]"[b]I am standing to reunite the global football family, deliver genuine ​and lasting reform, modernise FIFA for the 21st century, restore stability and credibility, and rebuild the trust that our game urgently needs[/b]."[/p][p]Last ⁠month, the Swiss Football ​Association became the latest national body to withdraw its support for Infantino's bid for another term as FIFA president.[/p][image alt="Current FIFA President Gianni Infantino" id="81e5a6fe-1712-40da-92c4-b00ce0c41d2c" credit-line="Nexpher Images / Sipa USA / Profimedia" guid="1c61135e-b86f-41c2-bf4d-37b76ed8dafa" original-width="1400" original-height="933" /][p]The move was another setback for the 56-year-old, with the football associations of England, Wales, France, Serbia ‌and several other European countries having already withdrawn their endorsements ahead of the election.[/p][p]European soccer's governing body UEFA has pledged to present a rival candidate before the November deadline.[/p][p]Infantino last month wrote to FIFA's 211 member associations proposing an independent review of the governing body's decision-making processes.[/p][p]Vega is the first candidate to publicly confirm his intention to challenge Infantino. Vega had also explored runs for the FIFA presidency in 2015, 2019 and 2022.[/p][p]"[b]Football does not belong to presidents, ‌confederations or administrators[/b]," Vega added. "[b]Football is greater than any position, any ​individual or any institution[/b].[/p][p]"[b]It is the people's game and belongs ‌to everyone: the players, coaches, referees, supporters, volunteers, clubs, leagues, associations and communities that give football its life...[/b][/p][p]"[b]The current leadership has demoralised the game... Weak governance has damaged FIFA's credibility and eroded trust across the global football family. We must stop this ⁠conflict from escalating[/b]."[/p][p]Reuters has contacted ⁠FIFA to seek comment from ‌the governing body and Infantino.[/p]