FIFA President Gianni Infantino apologized during a meeting of the Council today, Thursday, for errors in communication and consultation regarding an investment project that was abandoned, while officials from the German and English football associations expressed continued doubts about his suitability to remain in office.
Reuters quoted Infantino as saying he apologized during the closed meeting for shortcomings in communication and consultation regarding the "FIFA Forward Enterprise" project, which was abandoned, emphasizing that he had not gone beyond the proposal stage and that it was "in no way a done deal."
Project details
The proposed project involved creating a company to manage the commercial interests of FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, with the possibility of selling a minority stake to private sector investors, and Infantino clarified that the goal of the project was to provide additional funding for the 211 member associations of the international federation.
European associations' stance
Despite the continued support Infantino enjoys from African officials, opposition remains clear among some of the more influential European associations, in light of the project and the manner in which it was handled. German Football Association President Bernd Nienendorf called for a "completely new beginning" at FIFA, considering that the necessary administrative reforms for the federation cannot be achieved under Infantino's continued tenure.
For her part, English Football Association President Debbie Hewitt stated that Infantino is required to provide answers to questions raised by FIFA Council members, warning that failure to provide clarifications would make him ineligible to continue as president of the international federation.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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