FIFA's attempt to move past the biggest internal crisis of President Gianni Infantino's reign is unlikely to end scrutiny of how world football is governed, as questions linger over whether promised reforms will lead to meaningful change before the March presidential election.
After FIFA's leadership gathered in Rabat to publicly reaffirm support for Infantino, the governing body apologized on Wednesday to its 211 members for mistakes surrounding the abandoned proposal to sell a slice of the World Cup's commercial future. FIFA also pledged to review the processes that led to the controversy that sparked the fiercest revolt of Infantino's decade-long tenure, after national federations complained they had been sidelined.
In a statement issued after Wednesday's meeting, FIFA acknowledged that the proposal “should have been handled differently” and said it was not its intention for the FIFA Council or associations to feel excluded from the process. As the dust settles, a review will now be conducted before a report is presented to the council at its next meeting. The conciliatory tone marked a stark contrast with the increasingly public criticism that forced FIFA into a retreat.
However, FIFA can no longer dodge questions raised by several confederations, leagues, and national associations over how major strategic decisions are made and communicated. The European Leagues criticized FIFA over what it described as an unrealistically short four-week assessment timeline on a separate proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup from 48 to 64 teams. The body, which represents more than 1,300 European clubs, reinforced complaints that stakeholders are too often presented with decisions rather than consulted on them.
FIFA insists that all actions taken over the commercial rights proposal complied with its regulations and stressed that mistakes were related to process and communications rather than breaches of governance rules. For Infantino, the immediate priority has been containing the political fallout before March's presidential election in Morocco, where he will seek a fourth term through 2031. Wednesday's meeting delivered that objective with FIFA's management board and Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom publicly endorsing the president.
Grafstrom had sent an internal memo to staff lamenting the “sad and reproachable series of events,” and although he did not mention Infantino by name, he noted that “individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go.” Any suggestion of lingering tensions, however, appeared to have been set aside publicly with Infantino later posting a photo of the pair smiling for the camera and giving a thumbs-up at a women's Africa Cup of Nations match in Rabat.
Several influential stakeholders, including UEFA, have openly questioned Infantino's leadership, while criticism has also emerged from confederations like CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation. UEFA confirmed to Al Jazeera on Tuesday that it had issued a “document procurement letter” to FIFA, a move to prevent the deletion or destruction of anything that may be used as evidence before any legal action. At the same time, Infantino continues to enjoy strong support from many smaller associations, particularly across Africa and Asia, where FIFA development funding remains central to national football programs.
The European Leagues described Infantino's proposal to spin off a FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) as “dangerous” and said it pointed to deeper concerns about how the governing body operates. The FFE spin-off, valued by FIFA at $20bn, would have taken control of the football body's money-making commercial and tournament operations, such as the World Cup, through at least 2038. The European Leagues said the plan raised “serious questions about FIFA's governance, internal culture and decision-making.”
Portugal and Real Madrid great Luis Figo also called for Infantino to step down, saying he had “debased the office.” FIFA denied a British media report suggesting Infantino, in seeking support for his presidency, had offered Morocco the final at the 2030 World Cup, which it is hosting with Portugal and Spain. Also on Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he no longer has confidence in Infantino, citing a “fatal” governance failure.
The most intense pressure remains that of UEFA. Even after Infantino's climbdown, UEFA saying it has lost confidence in FIFA's leadership appears to pave the way for a challenge to his presidency. Infantino is aiming to win a fourth and final term in office in the March election. FIFA's deadline for candidates to raise their hands is November 18. Whether UEFA shifts its focus to the election or pursues a legal course of action remains to be seen. Either way, it is highly unlikely that it will sit quietly and fall in line with Infantino as the FIFA executives did in Rabat.
Source: www.aljazeera.com