Gianni Infantino, the president of Fifa, has reportedly angered several Concacaf nations following his attendance at a meeting of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) in the Dominican Republic. His presence at the event, which included an under-14 tournament, occurred despite a request from Concacaf president Victor Montagliani for him to stay away. The incident has been seen by some as an attempt by Infantino to garner support for his re-election campaign.
Sources attending the CFU meeting indicated that many Concacaf members were frustrated by Infantino’s actions. Montagliani had specifically asked Infantino to reconsider his attendance, stating that his presence would detract from the youth tournament and its technical focus. The Concacaf president’s letter to Infantino, dated Friday, highlighted concerns about the “governance crisis surrounding Fifa” and suggested that media attention would shift to this situation rather than the youth competition.
Infantino’s presence and funding pledges
Despite Montagliani’s request, Infantino is understood to have arrived at the Punta Cana resort with a significant Fifa entourage. This group included the secretary general, Mattias Grafström, and Elkhan Mammadov, who serves as the director of member associations and is known as a strong ally of Infantino. Before making financial pledges at the CFU meeting, Infantino’s team reportedly engaged with individual member associations to lobby for their support.
The Fifa president used the meeting to announce the release of millions of dollars for Fifa-funded development projects in the region. These funds had reportedly been delayed for several months. Infantino’s visit was seen by some as an opportunity to secure election votes from Caribbean countries, potentially creating divisions within Concacaf.
Mammadov has been central to efforts to maintain positive relationships with the 211 member associations, particularly since the Fifa Forward Enterprise scandal. His persistent approach has reportedly caused some unease in certain circles. The official Fifa party attempted to characterise the ongoing governance issues as a private disagreement between Infantino and Montagliani, according to one source.
Concacaf’s stance and broader alliances
Montagliani, who is also a Fifa vice-president, has not publicly commented since the proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) became known. However, he has been mentioned in Europe as a potential candidate to succeed Infantino. The two officials had a brief encounter before the CFU meeting, shaking hands in an exchange that was recorded by Infantino’s personal camera crew.
The Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal, which involved selling stakes in the World Cup and other competitions to private investors, has since been abandoned. This proposal had drawn significant criticism and placed Infantino’s position under scrutiny. Infantino has faced accusations of breaking trust “through deception” in an open letter issued by Uefa, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation.
While Mexico, Grenada, and St Kitts and Nevis have publicly declared their support for Infantino, the majority of Concacaf’s 41 members are understood to back the alliance with Uefa, as advocated by Montagliani. This alliance extends beyond efforts to unseat Infantino, with both confederations discussing the establishment of a joint Nations League in 2028, which could potentially evolve into a new global competition.
The Concacaf position aligns with previous complaints regarding Fifa’s operations, including those from the Jordan FA. Its president, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, accused Infantino of bribery, alleging that his country had not received prize money from last year’s Arab Cup due to its failure to endorse the Fifa president. Despite these challenges, Infantino continues to receive support from the South American governing body Conmebol and the African governing body Caf.
The Dominican Republic’s minister of sports and recreation, Kelvin Cruz, issued a statement expressing appreciation for Infantino’s visit, noting that his presence places the country on the international football radar and opens prospects for growth and development in Dominican football.
The youth tournament is part of several development projects funded by Fifa through its Fifa Forward programme. Infantino was invited to the event as a guest of the Dominican Republic, an invitation believed to have been extended prior to the controversial Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal.
Source: theguardian.com
