FIFA President Gianni Infantino has called an emergency meeting with the organisation’s senior officials in Rabat, Morocco, as pressure continues to mount over FIFA’s abandoned plan to bring private investors into a company responsible for managing its tournaments.
The emergency meeting, which was reportedly scheduled after the weekend, will include FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom and members of the organisation’s management board.
The latest development comes after Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, publicly distanced himself from the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal.
Wenger said he played no role in the plan and welcomed FIFA’s decision to withdraw it.
“I was not involved in this strategic plan,” Wenger said.
He added that scrapping the proposal was the right decision.
“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,” he stated.
The controversy began after reports revealed FIFA’s plan to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) to oversee the commercial and operational management of its tournaments, with a proposal to sell a 20 per cent stake in the company to private investors.
The proposal was strongly opposed by several football governing bodies, including UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). UEFA reportedly warned it could boycott FIFA competitions, including the FIFA World Cup, if the plan went ahead.
Following the backlash, FIFA officially abandoned the project last Saturday.
However, the decision has failed to end the growing criticism facing Infantino.
UEFA has since declared that it has “lost confidence” in the FIFA president, while football associations in England and Wales have withdrawn their support for him. The Scottish Football Association is also believed to share UEFA’s position.
Reports indicate that members of the FIFA Council are trying to secure the required 19 votes needed to request a meeting that could hold Infantino accountable over both the FFE proposal and his handling of the Folarin Balogun case.
If that effort fails, opponents are reportedly considering a “governance boycott” that could affect FIFA’s day-to-day operations.
Amid the controversy, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom also addressed staff, describing the events of the past week as unfortunate while reassuring employees that the organisation would move forward.
“Individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go. The institution, its mission and its responsibility towards world football continue,” Grafstrom said.
The crisis follows the resignation of Carlos Cordeiro, one of Infantino’s senior advisers, last week.
While Infantino is still believed to enjoy strong backing from several football associations in Africa, South America and Oceania, support within Asia appears divided.
Jordan Football Association President Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein has accused FIFA of attempting to influence his vote by allegedly linking financial payments to support for Infantino, an allegation FIFA has acknowledged but declined to comment on.
Meanwhile, UEFA has informed FIFA that it is actively considering legal action over the now-abandoned FFE proposal.
Source: Press Association.
