Fifa presidency: University lecturer bidding to challenge Gianni Infantino

University lecturer Peter Auf der Heyde is launching an ambitious attempt to take on Gianni Infantino for the Fifa presidency.

The former journalist and football club owner is seeking to be nominated to challenge the incumbent Infantino – and wants to be paid a salary of just $1 (75p) per year if he wins the role.

South African Auf der Heyde lectures in journalism at Southampton Solent University and was previously sports editor of the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) in Germany.

He was president of the Grahamstown Soccer Association in South Africa and both owned and managed second-division side UDW FC in the early 1990s.

“I feel very strongly that there needs to be a challenge in any election,” Auf der Heyde told BBC Radio Solent.

“There should not be an uncontested election and in this case Infantino needs to be challenged. It’s important for accountability and transparency.”

For Auf der Heyde to become a candidate to challenge Infantino in the March 2027 election, he will need to be nominated by five football associations.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is also considering standing against the current president, who faced calls to stand down following a controversial plan to sell off stakes in the governing body’s competitions to private investors.

Infantino insisted he has the backing of the “vast, vast majority” of world football, and laughed off questions about whether he had considered resigning his position.

He is seeking a fourth and final term in the role but is also facing competition from Kozo Tashima, the honorary president of the Japan Football Association, and former Tottenham Hotspur and Switzerland defender Ramon Vega.

The deadline for candidates to confirm they are standing against Infantino is 18 November.

“I’m not asking for countries to vote for me, I’m asking for them to nominate me,” added Auf der Heyde.

“Once you have a nomination and become an official candidate you can then ask questions [to other candidates] that you can’t ask otherwise.

“Infantino earned around $6m (£4.49m) last year which I think is ridiculous. I would suggest that $450,000 (£337,259) is a very adequate salary and in my case I would ask to be paid $1 per year and after four years if I have maintained my promises then I can get the remaining money.”