UEFA says its boycott of FIFA competitions remains in place and reiterated its lack of confidence in Gianni Infantino.
FIFA is hoping the noise around its embattled president will dissipate after his botched attempt to sell-off stakes in the organisation’s premium events, such as the World Cup and Club World Cup, ended in embarrassment and acrimony.
Infantino held talks with FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom and members of the FIFA Management Board in the Moroccan city of Rabat yesterday and, while it was admitted that mistakes were made regarding the FFE proposal, the Swiss lawyer was empowered to continue in his role.
That stance has infuriated UEFA, who last week announced its member associations had agreed not to take part in FIFA-organised events until fundamental change had taken place.
In a statement released to 101 Great Goals, UEFA said on Thursday: “UEFA’s associations were very clear about the conditions attached to the non-participation in FIFA competitions.
“First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and secondly, assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again.
“These conditions have not been met. In addition, UEFA made it abundantly clear in its statement on Saturday that it has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino’s presidency. That position holds.
“Yesterday’s announcement that some people employed by the FIFA President (and whose careers depend on his favour) agree with him changes nothing.”
What did FIFA say regarding Infantino?
Infantino went to Rabat, essentially, to save his job after the FFE scheme was widely panned by UEFA and fellow confederations AFC (Asia) and CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean), as well as most commentators.
But he emerged unscathed having received the “full support” of FIFA’s Management Board and, more surprisingly, Grafstrom, who the day before had penned an internal letter to staff that described the last week as a “sad and reproachable series of events.” He also said it created “turmoil which is difficult to comprehend and accept.”
The FIFA statement read: “Following a meeting in Rabat, the FIFA secretary general and members of the FIFA Management Board in attendance reaffirmed their full support for president Gianni Infantino, as the only official elected by the 211 FIFA Member Associations. In turn, the FIFA president reiterated his full support for the FIFA secretary general and the FIFA Administration for their necessary and outstanding work in the delivery of his vision.
“It was discussed and agreed that the processes, communications and interactions between the president, the secretary general and the FIFA Management Board that support the delivery of this vision can and should always be continuously improved in terms of their effectiveness and efficiency.
“The great work of the FIFA Administration that ensured a successful delivery of the World Cup was acknowledged, and which would not have been possible without the FIFA president, the FIFA secretary general and FIFA Administration speaking as one voice and working as one team.
“In this regard, FIFA’s top management is fully confident that the outcomes of today’s meeting will strengthen FIFA’s governance, help restore confidence in the organisation and enable us to prepare for the major events and challenges ahead in a united and transparent manner while continuing our mission to develop the game around the world.
“The meeting also addressed the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, where mistakes made were acknowledged. It was agreed that it was not the intention for the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations to feel excluded from the process and that the process should have been handled differently. It was further acknowledged that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media.
“In a separate letter to the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations, an apology was made for these errors together with a commitment to ensure they do not happen again. A review will now be conducted, and a report will be presented to the FIFA Council at its next scheduled meeting.
“As previously communicated, the FFE proposal, which would have been subject to the approval of the FIFA Member Associations and the FIFA Council, is now off the table. With the project withdrawn, it was agreed that 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. There are always lessons to be learned, and FIFA will continue to improve its processes in light of this experience. In this instance, however, it is important to stress that, although mistakes were made, everything that was done was done in full compliance with the FIFA regulatory framework.
“FIFA will work closely with the relevant stakeholders to examine how it can further support the development of the game through the FIFA Forward programme for the benefit of FIFA’s 211 Member Associations, the Confederations and the Regional Associations.”
What was the FFE proposal?
The initial idea was to sell a percentage of the commercial rights to FIFA’s flagship events, including the men’s and women’s World Cup, to investors and form a new subsidiary – FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).
FIFA said Thrive Eternal, an American venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner – the brother of US president Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared – would lead the investor group.
It had been reported Infantino would become the chief executive of FFE and command an annual salary akin to that of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who earns around $64m a year. Infantino’s current approximate salary is $6m.
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