The China Mail - FIFA back Infantino, apologise for World Cup privatisation plan

Facing a barrage of criticism following the aborted plan, FIFA's leadership acknowledged "errors", while nonetheless backing under-fire Infantino following a crisis meeting in Morocco.

Infantino has come under increasing pressure, even from within his organisation, over his handling of the proposal, and calls for him to step down had grown since he abandoned it last Saturday.

In a statement Wednesday, FIFA's leadership acknowledged "that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media".

FIFA floated the plan, saying it could raise up to $4.2 billion based on a valuation of $20 billion for a new commercial subsidiary, called the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which it proposed would run events such as the World Cup and Club World Cup.

It said that, if approved, the project could provide each of FIFA's 211 member associations with a one-off payment of $20 million in early 2027, and increase their funding allocation for the 2027-2030 cycle from $8 million to $20 million.

Instead of acting as a sweetener it produced a furious backlash, with European football's governing body UEFA resorting on Thursday to the nuclear option of boycotting the sport's jewel in the crown, the World Cup.

By Saturday, Infantino held his hands up and withdrew the plan.

"Our purpose has always been -- and will always be -- to unite and improve," said Infantino.

After Wednesday's meeting in Rabat, the FIFA Secretary General and members of the FIFA Management Board in attendance said in a statement they "reaffirmed their full support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as the only official elected by the 211 FIFA Member Associations".

"The meeting also addressed the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, where mistakes made were acknowledged," the statement said.

"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."

- 'Off the table' -

One of those believed to be at the meeting was FIFA's secretary-general Mattias Grafstrom, whose internal email to staff criticising the plan was leaked on Tuesday.

"A review will now be conducted, and a report will be presented to the FIFA Council at its next scheduled meeting," the FIFA statement said.

"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."

Later Wednesday, Infantino -- a 56-year-old Swiss lawyer who was in Morocco to celebrate last week's Feast of the Enthronement -- attended the Women's Africa Cup of Nations match between Zambia and Malawi in Rabat.

The FIFA chief was spotted alongside the president of the Moroccan football federation at the entrance to Al Medina Stadium, an AFP photographer observed.

Morocco is to co-host the 2030 World Cup and Moroccan Football chief Fouzi Lekjaa is one of the few to have publicly supported Infantino since the humiliating climbdown.

Lekjaa last Saturday had praised his "wise" move to scrap the plan in the interests of "unity and cohesion".

He reiterated his backing for Infantino for "all the initiatives aimed at the development of world football" during his 10 years in charge.

Infantino had been basking in the warm afterglow of a highly successful World Cup -- the largest ever with 48 teams and co-hosted by three countries, Canada, Mexico and the US.

His wish to serve a fourth and final term looked likely to be rubber-stamped in Rabat next March -- no other candidate had come forward to challenge him.

However, Tuesday last week all that faded.

UEFA termed the proposal to privatise the World Cup a "shabby, back room, opaque deal" hatched by Infantino.

"The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA's confidence but also that of many other members of the football family," UEFA said in a statement.

North and Central American football's governing body CONCACAF went further still and called for "a comprehensive reckoning with this presidency" while slamming Infantino's "poor governance and leadership".

On Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose country co-hosted the 2026 World Cup, said he no longer had confidence in Infantino's ability to lead FIFA.

K.Leung--ThChM