FIFA President Gianni Infantino has secured the full backing of the organization’s management board following a crisis meeting in rte.ie, Morocco, despite facing intense pressure to resign over a controversial private equity proposal. The management board reaffirmed their support by recognizing Infantino as the only official elected by the 211 FIFA member associations
during the Wednesday discussions.
FIFA Management Board Backs Gianni Infantino After Crisis Talks
The meeting followed more than a week of calls for Infantino to quit over his plan to create the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) company, which involved selling a 20% stake in commercial rights to private investors. During the talks, Infantino sent written apologies to the FIFA council and the 211 member associations for failing to consult them over the World Cup sell-off.
The FFE Proposal Fallout and Wider Political Backlash
The private investor plan faced widespread rejection from three continental confederations. irishexaminer.com threatened to boycott all FIFA competitions unless the proposal was scrapped, and although the plan was withdrawn, UEFA stated hours later that it had lost confidence
in Infantino’s leadership. Several European nations, including England and Wales, have since pulled their support for his re-election next year.
FIFA acknowledged in a statement that mistakes were made
in how the FFE plans were developed and handled after being leaked to the media, noting that member associations should not have felt excluded. However, the governing body insisted that everything that was done was done in full compliance with the FIFA regulatory framework.
Infantino also offered Morocco support to host the 2030 World Cup final as part of his bid to rally backing.
Opposition Mounts Among Council Members and International Leaders
The stance adopted by Infantino has stoked further anger among national associations and council members. Prior to Wednesday’s statement, members of the FIFA Council were working to achieve the majority of 19 votes needed to request an extraordinary general meeting to hold Infantino accountable over both the FFE project and the Folarin Balogun case. Councillors remain committed to forcing a governance boycott if they cannot reach the majority or if Infantino refuses the meeting request.
External figures have also criticized the FIFA leadership. Former Portugal star Luis Figo called for Infantino to resign, describing his conduct as the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed
according to the dailysabah.com. Additionally, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, representing one of this summer’s World Cup co-hosts, stated he no longer had confidence in Infantino and that the exclusion of key people from the FFE proposal development should be fatal.
Secretary General Support and Threats of Open Warfare
Despite the mounting opposition, Infantino retains key internal allies. FIFA confirmed he has the full support
of Secretary General Mattias Grafström, despite reports that Grafström had previously emailed FIFA staff to describe the FFE episode as a sad and reproachable series of events.
Infantino spent the day in talks with Grafström and Chief Legal Officer Emilio García Silvero.
With FIFA warning that it will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process,
sources have predicted that open warfare
could now ensue in world football politics as UEFA continues searching for a candidate to run against Infantino in the presidential election scheduled for March in Rabat.
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