Confederations voice concerns over leadership
Uefa, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation have accused Fifa and its president, Gianni Infantino, of breaking trust “through deception” in an open letter. The letter, signed by the presidents and general secretaries of the three confederations, highlights concerns regarding the integrity of football’s leadership.
The controversy stems from the proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme, which would have involved creating a new company to manage commercial and ticketing rights for all Fifa competitions, including the World Cups. This plan included selling 21% of the company to a private investment firm. The FFE proposal was ultimately abandoned after widespread criticism, particularly from Uefa, which had threatened a boycott of Fifa competitions.
The open letter states, “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 further clarifies that “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.”
While the letter does not explicitly name Mr. Infantino, sources suggest it implies an opportunity for him to resign with dignity. This follows a statement from Fifa that criticised what it called a “concerted and ongoing effort” to “undermine” the organisation and its president.
Critique of FFE proposal and governance
The three confederations, representing Europe, North America, Central America and the Caribbean, and Asia, criticised a statement issued by Fifa after Mr. Infantino convened a meeting of management board members in Rabat, Morocco. The confederations noted that Fifa Council members and member associations were excluded from this meeting, with only Fifa-employed senior staff present.
The open letter argues that Fifa’s acknowledgment of mistakes in the FFE process did not go far enough. “It did not acknowledge that the proposal itself was inherently wrong,” the letter stated. It added that attempting to sell an interest in the Fifa World Cup represented “a profound failure of judgement,” not merely a procedural misstep, but “a fundamental breach of trust with the very institutions Fifa exists to serve.”
Fifa has committed to presenting a report on these events at the next meeting of the Fifa Council, expected in October. However, the confederations contend that proper governance would require such a review to be conducted by a fully independent third party, not by Fifa itself or its staff. They highlighted “silence where there should be accountability, distance where there should be openness.”
Uefa has also issued a legal warning, advising Fifa not to delete or destroy any documents related to the abandoned plans.
Discussions of alternative competitions
Uefa has maintained that Fifa’s defence of Mr. Infantino does not alter the possibility of a boycott of competitions. Preliminary discussions have reportedly taken place among the three confederations regarding the organisation of breakaway competitions, should Mr. Infantino remain in his position. The letter emphasised that “football’s strength has always been its unity” and called for leadership that serves football, rather than seeking to command it.
Despite these discussions, Concacaf and Asia have not publicly committed to any boycott. Within these confederations, support for Mr. Infantino is not uniform. Mexico, within Concacaf, has expressed support for the Fifa president. Among the 46 members of the AFC, eight countries—United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Kuwait, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Bhutan—have publicly backed Mr. Infantino.
The upcoming Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup, scheduled to kick off in Poland, will feature five European nations, including England. France has indicated its intention to compete in the tournament.
The open letter was signed by Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa (AFC President), Victor Montagliani (Concacaf President), and Aleksander Čeferin (Uefa President), along with their respective general secretaries.
Candidates for the Fifa election must announce their bids by 18 November.
Source: bbc.com
