Gianni Infantino has apologised for mistakes made in the handling of FIFA’s controversial proposal to sell stakes in its competitions to private investors but has retained the confidence of the organisation’s senior leadership.
Infantino convened a meeting of FIFA’s management board at the governing body’s Africa office in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday following growing criticism over the now-abandoned investment plan.
After the meeting, FIFA issued a statement confirming that the management board had unanimously reaffirmed its support for Infantino’s leadership despite the controversy.
The proposal, which was to be implemented through a new subsidiary known as the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), would have seen FIFA’s 211 member associations receive 40 million dollars each in exchange for supporting private investment in major competitions, including the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cups.
The plan faced strong opposition from football stakeholders, with UEFA describing it as an opaque arrangement that undermined confidence in FIFA’s governance.
Criticism also emerged from within FIFA itself. Secretary General Mattias Grafström, in an internal memo to staff, described the episode as “a sad and reproachable series of events.”
However, following Wednesday’s discussions, Grafström joined Infantino in signing a letter addressed to FIFA vice-presidents, Council members and all 211 member associations, in which they offered a formal apology.
The letter acknowledged shortcomings in the process and pledged that similar mistakes would not be repeated.
According to FIFA, the meeting recognised that errors had been made in the way the FFE proposal was presented, admitting that it had never been the intention for the FIFA Council or member associations to feel excluded from the decision-making process.
The governing body said the consultation process should have been handled differently and stressed its commitment to greater transparency in future governance matters.
Despite the controversy, the executive board’s endorsement means Infantino remains in office as FIFA president, although the failed investment proposal has intensified scrutiny of the organisation’s governance and decision-making processes.
