Football Association of Ireland withdraws Infantino support

The Football Association of Ireland [FAI] has officially withdrawn support for under-fire Fifa president Gianni Infantino, while the Irish Football Association has confirmed it is backing Uefa's stance.

On Monday, European football's governing body Uefa signed an open letter along with Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation, accusing Infantino of breaking trust "through deception".

It follows an attempt by Infantino to sell a stake in Fifa's commercial operations to a private investment company - since abandoned - which has left his bid for a fourth term at top of world football in a perilous state.

Last week, the Welsh FA became the first home nation to withdraw support with the FA following days later.

The FAI - governing body for football in the Republic of Ireland - has confirmed it has also withdrawn support for Infantino in a letter to Fifa, having previously indicated its support prior to the post-World Cup controversy.

"Following an FAI board meeting, the decision was taken to rescind the letter of support that the Association supplied earlier this year," it confirmed.

"The Association is grateful for the support that Fifa provides to Irish football, but recent events have raised significant concerns regarding governance, transparency and the lack of meaningful consultation.

"Considering the governance challenges that the FAI has had to overcome in recent years, the Association feels a particular obligation to advocate for and uphold best practice."