Gianni Infantino is still the Fifa president, even after the governing body publicly admitted “mistakes” were made regarding his wild proposal to sell off stakes in competitions. The decision came Wednesday after Infantino called a management board meeting in Rabat, Morocco, a move made necessary by growing criticism against his leadership.
A “Shabby” Deal That Riled The World
The whole mess stems from Infantino’s aborted attempt to privatize stakes in Fifa tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, through a new subsidiary called Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE). European football’s governing body, Uefa, didn’t hold back, declaring it had lost confidence in Infantino and slamming the FFE proposal as a “shabby, back room, opaque deal.” The internal heat was just as intense. Fifa secretary general Mattias Grofstrom, who was even at Wednesday’s meeting, reportedly called the situation “a sad and reproachable series of events” in an internal memo sent to staff just the day before. Let that sink in: *internal* criticism from his own secretary general. Infantino had also offered Fifa’s 211 member associations a hefty $40 million if they backed his private investment plan. But despite all the noise, Grofstrom and the management board “reaffirmed their full support” for Infantino just four hours after the Rabat meeting wrapped. Unbelievable, right?
Apologies, Denials, And A Full-Blown Threat
Fifa’s statement following the meeting actually “acknowledged” mistakes regarding FFE, saying it was “not the intention” for the Fifa council and member associations to “feel excluded from the process,” admitting the process “should have been handled differently.” They even said errors were made after the plan leaked to the media, with The Times breaking the story on July 28. Fifa reportedly apologized to the council and members, promising a review and a commitment to not repeat the errors. But here’s the kicker: the very same statement then declared Fifa “will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process and will take all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation.” Seriously, they apologized and then immediately pulled out the threats. On top of that, Fifa denied The Times story that Infantino promised Morocco the 2030 World Cup final for its support, calling it a “false and misleading” claim. The decision on the final, which will be hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, is still “in due course.”
This drama has been a constant for Infantino’s 10-year tenure, and it’s clear he’s hoping this show of support from executives will finally put a line under it. But with critics like Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who said he no longer had confidence in Infantino, and former legend Luis Figo calling for his immediate resignation, the pressure isn’t letting up. Figo even stated Infantino “has debased the” , talk about a mic drop! Infantino might be staying, but the controversy is definitely not over.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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