After allegedly convening a crisis meeting himself, FIFA president Gianni Infantino finally spoke out about that massively criticized plan to sell World Cup shares. We all remember the outrage that forced him to abandon the idea earlier, right? Well, in a letter published Wednesday night, signed by both Infantino and FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström, they straight up said, “We acknowledge that mistakes were also made after the plan was leaked to the media.”
Oops, Our Bad (But Not Really?)
This is Infantino’s first real apology since those controversial plans, which aimed to sell off stakes in football’s biggest tournament to private investors, went public. The letter didn’t stop there either. It continued, “We sincerely apologize for these mistakes and commit to ensuring that they will not happen again.” Sounds like a mea culpa, right? They’re even saying a “necessary review” is gonna happen, with a report hitting the FIFA Council at its next meeting. You gotta wonder, will Infantino’s own role get looked at? Will there be any consequences for his future?
Infantino’s Inner Circle Has His Back
Here’s the kicker, though: from inside his *own ranks*, the president probably doesn’t have a thing to worry about. That same letter goes on to say that Grafström and the FIFA leadership are assuring Infantino, who’d been taking heavy fire in recent weeks, of “their full support.” “Full support”? After a crisis meeting he called, and an apology for leaked plans? Talk about a quick turnaround! And check this out: Infantino’s already “in better spirits again.” Sky News reports that he and Grafström were already back together in the stadium Thursday night, chilling and watching the Women’s Africa Cup match between Malawi and Zambia.
So, a necessary review is coming, and a report will hit the FIFA Council at their next meeting. But with “full support” already locked in from his closest allies, what are the real stakes here? Will anything actually change, or is this just another step in keeping things exactly the way they are? We’ll be watching closely for that report to drop, but don’t hold your breath for any seismic shifts.
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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