Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter has publicly thrown his help behind Lise Klaveness to take over as probably the most highly effective official in world soccer.
Blatter posted on his social media account Tuesday to advocate for the Norwegian, praising her independence, braveness and management.
Klaveness, who’s a uncommon instance of a publicly out homosexual govt at a senior degree within the planet’s hottest sport, would symbolize a welcome break from the male domination and institution politics typified by Gianni Infantino’s reign, in accordance to Blatter.
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He led FIFA from 1998 to 2015, when he resigned having been accused of corruption alongside a bunch of FIFA executives, and was succeeded by Infantino, a fellow Swiss. Now 90, Blatter stays banned from working in soccer, though he was cleared and acquitted of legal fees.
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Writing about Klaveness on X, he said that she “deserves the utmost respect.”
He added: “She was the only one who always took a clear stand and did not go along with the mainstream. And at FIFA, the time is right for a woman to take the lead.”
The endorsement from Blatter, who additionally included the hashtag #lise4president in his submit, comes at a pivotal second within the ongoing controversy surrounding FIFA.
Lise Klaveness deserves the utmost respect. She was the one one who at all times took a transparent stand and didn’t associate with the mainstream. And at FIFA, the time is true for a girl to take the lead. #liseklaveness #norgesfotballforbund #norge #fifa #gianniinfantino #lise4president…
— Joseph S Blatter (@SeppBlatter) August 4, 2026
Klaveness, who was in June named on Outsports’ Soccer Power 26 list of influential LGBTQ people in the sport, is at the forefront of a rising consensus that the time has come for a basic shift within the corridors of energy at FIFA HQ in Zurich.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is underneath mounting strain
Infantino is presently dealing with an unprecedented backlash from member associations, with the groundswell of voices calling for him to go extending to not simply followers and the media but additionally former gamers who are actually high-profile pundits.
Infantino’s management has come underneath heavy hearth after it was revealed last month that the FIFA President had concocted a multi-billion-dollar plan to unload stakes within the FIFA World Cup and Club World Cup competitions to non-public buyers.
The controversy adopted on from others involving Infantino and his stewardship, such as the choice to award World Cup 2034 internet hosting rights to Saudi Arabia, the growth of event codecs, and business offers that seem to prioritize monetary pursuits over participant welfare, human rights and transparency.
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Klaveness, a former Norway worldwide soccer participant who in 2022 grew to become the primary girl elected to the presidency of the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF), has been vocal about her opposition to a lot of Infantino’s agenda.
One of solely two girls on the manager committee of UEFA, which is European soccer’s governing physique, she has joined others in highlighting “the very serious situation” dealing with world soccer as a results of Infantino’s plotting and centralization of energy.
UEFA stated it could boycott FIFA competitions if shares have been offered within the World Cup. The CONCACAF (North and Central America) and AFC (Asia) confederations adopted their European counterpart in making clear their displeasure with Infantino’s newest scheme.
He had regarded set to stand unopposed for reelection to the FIFA presidency in March 2027, however now it appears sure that at least one opposition candidate will emerge earlier than the November 18 deadline.
That candidate may very well be Klaveness.
Tipped for run at FIFA prime job, Lise Klaveness is an LGBTQ function mannequin
After hanging up her boots in 2012, having gained 73 caps for her nation (she performed in two Women’s World Cups both aspect of being a Euro 2005 finalist with Norway), Klaveness constructed a profession as an lawyer and deputy decide earlier than her history-making NFF appointment 4 years in the past.
She rapidly gained consideration at the 2022 FIFA Congress in Doha, Qatar, the place she delivered a strong speech instantly confronting FIFA’s management over human rights abuses, migrant employee security and the rights of LGBTQ folks.
Since then, Klaveness has remained one of the constant voices calling for accountability and moral governance inside world soccer.
Owing to her fearless method and powerful authorized background, Klaveness has emerged as a prime contender for the FIFA presidency. Sports Illustrated has ranked her as the candidate best positioned to problem and replace Infantino.
For the queer soccer group, Klaveness could be greater than only a breath of contemporary air.
She is married to Ingrid Camilla Fosse Sæthre, additionally a former Norway worldwide soccer participant, and the couple have three kids collectively.
In a sport wherein each girls and LGBTQ folks have traditionally been marginalized, and the place discrimination continues to be rife, tens of millions could be anticipated to rally behind Klaveness.
If she have been elected, the illustration she would supply would robotically put LGBTQ inclusion extra firmly on the desk, not least for member associations from international locations the place lesbian, homosexual and trans individuals are nonetheless persecuted underneath the regulation or worse.
Wales’ Laura McAllister additionally an influential LGBTQ determine in UEFA
Klaveness will not be alone in pushing for basic change inside FIFA. She works alongside Laura McAllister, the vice-president of the Football Association of Wales and the one different girl serving on UEFA’s govt committee.
McAllister, a former captain of the Wales nationwide workforce and a professor of public coverage, is like Klaveness an out lesbian and a staunch advocate for LGBTQ rights, equal pay and structural integrity in sports activities governance.
This week in The Athletic, reporter Megan Feringa stated the duo of Klaveness and McAllister represents a formidable drive for progress inside European and world soccer management.
“Over the past two years, as football has grappled with endless moral quandaries, McAllister and Klaveness have come to be recognized as ethical compasses,” wrote Feringa.
“In the aftermath of UEFA’s announced boycott, it was notable that Klaveness and McAllister were the main figures speaking to media, openly criticising FIFA for “economic blackmail”.”
Addressing reporters at an NFF press convention in Oslo final Friday, Klaveness stated that Infantino “has lost a great deal of trust.”
She added: “We did not vote for him last time, and we have been skeptical about this. There is a lot that is good about FIFA, but if you take a casual approach to governance principles and rules, you quickly lose trust.”
Determined and reliable, Lise Klaveness is a serious a part of a motion that might probably culminate in her election as FIFA’s first girl president.
Even if she finally misses out on the highest job, it’s probably that her rising affect will enhance soccer in ways in which empower girls and make LGBTQ folks really feel extra included.
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