Arsene Wenger has attempted to distance himself from Gianni Infantino as the World Cup sale scandal appears set to take the disgraced FIFA president down.

UEFA is busy orchestrating the removal of Infantino from his position at the top of world football’s governing body. Infantino is at the centre of a huge backlash after announcing controversial plans to sell stakes in tournaments like the World Cup to outside investors.

He was forced to backtrack after UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation united to reject the secret proposal. There is now a concerted effort to bring down Infantino, who had been ready to seek a fourth term as president.

Wenger works for FIFA and was often seen sat alongside Infantino during this summer’s World Cup. After attracting some criticism for his silence on the subject, the former Arsenal manager has decided to issue a statement.

“At FIFA, I am the chief of global football development,” Wenger said. “Together with my team, I oversee the data analysis of the game, the FIFA online training centre, the development of youth education through 60 academies across 60 countries where they are most needed, and youth competitions around the world.

“In addition, I am a technical adviser to IFAB. I was not involved in this strategic plan and first became aware of the project through media reports.

“The decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond question, because I firmly believe in an independent FIFA that serves our game with commitment, transparency, and integrity.”

Infantino is still trying to hold onto power and has received the backing of the football associations of Qatar, UAE, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Lebanon and Kuwait. But the Swiss bureaucrat is still facing a dire situation, with UEFA leading attempts to force him out and some inside FIFA appearing to back the moves.

An email from FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström to colleagues, made public by Sky News, describes recent events as “sad and reproachable” and notes that “individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go”.

Meanwhile, UEFA and their allies are ready to boycott FIFA competitions and could establish their own tournaments. European football’s governing body have encouraged their members to remove their endorsement of Infantino for re-election in an effort to spark his resignation.

If the FIFA president refuses to go then his opponents will unite behind a rival in the upcoming election. Candidates have to put forward their names before November 18.

UEFA have also threatened legal action against FIFA, writing in a letter: “UEFA hereby gives formal notice that it is actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints arising out of and in connection with the FFE plan proposed by Fifa and all related matters.

“You and Fifa are required to take immediate steps to identify, locate, and preserve all documents and electronically stored information described in this notice that are in your or Fifa’s possession, custody, or control.

“These obligations arise independently of any internal retention policy you or your organisation maintain and supersede any routine document destruction or deletion policies that would otherwise apply.”