Donald Trump has described embattled FIFA chief Gianni Infantino as “fantastic” and said ousting him would be a “terrible mistake”.
Infantino continues to cling on to his job despite the controversy surrounding his now abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme that proposed to sell off just over 20% of commercial rights to the organisation’s major tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cup.
The Swiss managed to retain the support of FIFA last week but that has not changed the opinion of some of the game’s major confederations with UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC writing an open letter on Monday that accused Infantino of breaking trust “through deception”.
US president Trump, who was awarded FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize by Infantino prior to the hosting of the World Cup in the United States, as well as Canada and Mexico, says critics need to lay off.
He wrote on Truth Social: “FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing president Gianni Infantino.
“He is fantastic, having just presided over the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented. If he is gone, it will never be as successful or profitable again.”
Had FFE gone ahead, the investor group would have been led by Thrive Eternal, an American venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner – the brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared.
Confederations maintain pressure on Infantino to go
The support of the US president will have little influence on those looking to get rid of Infantino.
The letter from UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC made clear their desire for change.
“When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned,” it read.
“Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding – or demanding – power to be held. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it.”
Reports claim the letter should be viewed as an opportunity for Infantino to resign voluntarily and leave office with dignity.
FIFA hits back and backs Infantino
FIFA came out fighting at the weekend, accusing critics of conducting a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine both the organisation and its president.
But the three confederations argued FIFA’s subsequent apology over the handling of the FFE proposal failed to address the central issue.
“It did not acknowledge that the proposal itself was inherently wrong,” the letter said.
“There remains no recognition that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup was a profound failure of judgement.
“Not just a procedural misstep, but a fundamental breach of trust with the very institutions FIFA exists to serve.”
Although FIFA has pledged to present a report on the episode at the next FIFA Council meeting, expected in October, the three confederations insist any investigation must be conducted independently.
“It fails to recognise that proper governance in the face of such a profound lack of judgement would require that such a review be conducted by a fully independent third party,” the letter added.
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