London [UK], November 15 (ANI): Arsene Wenger, the former Arsenal manager, is not expected to run against Gianni Infantino for the FIFA presidency in the elections next year, sources have told The Athletic. 

For the past seven years, Wenger has been a part of FIFA as the chief of global football development and is one of the most respected figures in world football. The 77-year-old had long been considered a serious contender to the presidency of the world's governing body. 

The former Arsenal manager had been lobbied to run for the top post by key stakeholders in football, including UEFA, ahead of the November 18 deadline. But the sources have said that the legendary football manager has already told UEFA that he does not intend to contest elections. Wenger's decision was first reported by a French publication L'Equipe.

Wenger is best known for his 22-year stint with Arsenal, which concluded in 2018, and has not been involved in coaching since then. His contract with FIFA also runs out at the end of the current year, and the governing body looks keen to extend his run in the current role. 

Ahead of the FIFA presidential elections next year, Infantino is fighting a massive battle to retain his job. He faced criticism after plans to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investment firms triggered opposition from several quarters. The proposal of FIFA Forward Programme that was going to carry this out led to strong reactions, with UEFA threatening to boycott FIFA competitions, including the FIFA World Cup. Infantino ditched the plan after such backlash. 

On the FFE proposal, Wenger issued a statement in August that he was 'not involved' in its conception and he did not know anything about it till it was reported in the media.

'The decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond question, because I firmly believe in an independent FIFA that serves our game with commitment, transparency, and integrity," Wenger's statement added.

The former Gunners manager was absent from the FIFA Management Committee's meeting in Rabat, Morocco, on August 5, which led to organisation's leadership rallying around Infantino. Wenger was pictured with Infantino in October, with the pair attending the inaugural Under-15s World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Mattias Grafstrom, FIFA's secretary general, wrote to FIFA Council members earlier this month and outlined that world soccer's governing body is going to grant access to what he described as "key" material in relation to the body's failed FFE plan. This came after requests from UEFA to make the information pertaining to FFE public. They had written a letter to FIFA detailing 42 demands. 

Former Tottenham centre-back Ramon Vega was the first person to put forward his name to challenge Infantino in October. The other name is Japan Football Association president Kozo Tashima. All the candidates must earn the backing of five of 211 national associations to be eligible to run. 

Infantino has been the FIFA president since 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, who resigned the year prior after a series of scandals. He was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023 and made his intentions for a fourth term clear in April this year. Earlier this month, the former head of FIFA's governance committee Miguel Maduro, claimed that Infantino is not eligible to contest for a fourth term and urged his critics to challenge his candidacy at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). (ANI)