UEFA boss says he does not want Infantino role but warns FIFA president is running out of road.

UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin says he is not interested in replacing Gianni Infantino but believes the FIFA president must step aside or face a leadership fight, as cbinews.tv reports.

Infantino has been under heavy pressure over his now abandoned plan to sell stakes in FIFA tournaments including the World Cup to private investors.

UEFA members voted to boycott FIFA competitions if Infantino pursued the plan, with all 55 federations backing the move. The proposal would have created a 20-billion-dollar subsidiary to run the World Cup and offered minority stakes to private equity.

FIFA had offered its 211 members 40 million dollars each to support it. After huge backlash Infantino withdrew the plan but UEFA says its boycott stance remains.

Speaking on The Rest is Politics podcast, Ceferin, 58, said he loves UEFA and wants to enjoy life a bit, and his credibility is much higher if he is not interested in the position.

The Slovenian says he has not spoken to Infantino since the row began. He said there are two options. One is Infantino realises he does not have support from voters, fans, players and coaches. The other is he goes to the elections in March in Morocco but will face a challenger.

Infantino, a former UEFA secretary general who succeeded Sepp Blatter in 2016 with broad European backing, was in Dominican Republic at the weekend for meetings despite CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani reportedly asking him to stay away from a youth event.

In a FIFA video on Sunday Infantino said it is important to engage and have dialogue and that he was happy with support received.

With FIFA Congress set for Rabat in March, focus now shifts to who will challenge. CONCACAF boss Montagliani and AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa are seen as likely contenders.

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