The FIFA meeting in Zurich on Thursday was the first since Gianni Infantino’s now-scrapped plan to sell shares in the World Cup to private investors through a company called Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE).
The Swiss official apologized for not discussing his business plan with the FIFA board before it became public in late summer. FIFA later confirmed Infantino’s regret in a press release.
“Not suitable”
Despite this, European football leaders still lack confidence in Infantino as president.
“One of the disappointments is that we did not receive an answer to any of the things we had specifically requested - for example, to receive the documents from the FFE,” said Debbie Hewitt, one of several FIFA vice-presidents, according to the BBC.
I asked the question “why not?”, and we were asked to submit those questions in writing.
Hewitt believes Infantino must answer these questions.
And if he doesn’t do it now, he is not suitable to be FIFA president, and that was stated at the meeting.
The continental confederations in Europe, Asia, North and Central America, and the Caribbean want to see new leadership, but no opposing candidate has yet been presented ahead of the FIFA Congress in Morocco in March.
“I have no new information that makes me feel differently, except that we have a chairman who is remorseful,” Hewitt said.
“Political restart”
German football president Bernd Neuendorf says FIFA must be reformed.
“I am clear that this is not possible with Gianni as the highest leader in FIFA. We must do a complete restart. We must also have a political restart of those who represent FIFA,” Neuendorf said, according to Norway’s NRK.
The FIFA boss was also asked about the criticized peace prize he established last fall and awarded to US President Donald Trump in December, as well as the controversy surrounding the lifting of American striker Florian Balogun’s suspension during the World Cup.
The board decided at the meeting that a working group would review FIFA’s regulations on how the organization is governed, and that a FIFA committee would evaluate the Peace Prize. A decision on the prize will be made at the next board meeting in December, according to a press release.
Facts: Infantino’s controversies
Three controversies related to FIFA President Gianni Infantino:
+ The Peace Prize for Donald Trump
On his own initiative - without consulting the FIFA board - Infantino established the FIFA Peace Prize in November last year. A month later, at the draw for the World Cup groups, US President Donald Trump was awarded the prize. Critics believe the prize violates the organization’s rules on political neutrality.
+ The star escaped suspension
After receiving a red card in the round of 16, the US forward was set to miss the round-of-16 match against Belgium. But after Donald Trump called Infantino and asked for a review, FIFA’s disciplinary committee lifted the suspension. Infantino claims he had nothing to do with the decision.
+ The storm surrounding the FIFA affair
At the end of July, it was revealed that Infantino wanted to set up a commercial subsidiary to sell shares in, among other things, the World Cup to private investors. Much of the football world was outraged by the proposal, which was made without the FIFA board’s knowledge, and Infantino eventually withdrew his plans.
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