Football Australia chair Isaac withholds Infantino election backing amid FIFA scrutiny

Football Australia chair Anter Isaac has urged a measured response to FIFA's governance controversy while declining to commit his support to Gianni Infantino at next year's presidential election. The Guardian reported his remarks ahead of this week's Asian Football Confederation congress in Tokyo, where continental officials are gathering.

Speaking on Beyond the Game with Dillon and Rafael, Isaac suggested FIFA's internal procedures might have failed to keep pace with rapid revenue growth. He argued that disagreements could reflect differences in approach or communication, rather than people acting against football's interests, according to the Guardian's account of the interview.

Isaac described discussion of his election backing as premature. He said the focus should be on examining what could have been handled better and establishing procedures to prevent a recurrence. His comments did not amount to an endorsement of Infantino's candidacy, and he stopped short of announcing how Australia would vote.

The remarks come as UEFA presses for documents about the proposed sale of 20% of FIFA's commercial rights and other governance matters. In a separate report, the Guardian said UEFA general secretary Theodore Theodoridis had written to FIFA counterpart Mattias Grafstrom, setting a 2 November deadline for substantive written answers and supporting records. The letter was accompanied by eight pages containing more than 50 questions.

UEFA's intervention followed a FIFA council meeting in Zurich at which Infantino heard questions but, according to the Guardian, did not give substantive answers. He asked members to submit their questions in writing before the next council meeting, scheduled for 16 December in Doha. UEFA's letter argued that scrutiny of past decisions should not wait until that gathering.

The European body also sought explanations for changes to the World Cup draw venue, the introduction of hydration breaks and the 27-minute interval at the final. Its requests extended to arrangements for the coming presidential election and renewed demands for an independent governance review. The Guardian said FIFA had been contacted for comment on UEFA's latest intervention.