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Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, apologized to his harshest critics during a crucial meeting of the FIFA Council on Thursday, but did not provide any new details or documents about the issues of greatest concern to them.

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the FIFA Council held a meeting that lasted three and a half hours in the Swiss city of Zurich, which was the first since the unveiling of the “FIFA Forward Enterprise” project, which Infantino had prepared out of sight of the Council members, before he retracted it within days of its appearance in public.

The project aimed to grant a private investment company a share of the commercial rights of FIFA, in a move that raised widespread objections regarding governance, transparency and decision-making mechanisms within the institution responsible for managing global football.

The meeting witnessed Infantino being confronted with questions related to a number of controversial files, including stopping the implementation of the red card penalty against American striker Folarin Balogun, the “FIFA Peace Prize”, in addition to the funding allocated to national federations.

Debbie Hewitt, President of the English Football Association and Vice-President of FIFA, said after the meeting that fundamental questions remained unanswered, despite the apology offered by the President of the International Federation.

She added: “One of the disappointing things is that we did not receive answers regarding any of the matters that we specifically requested, including obtaining documents related to the FIFA Forward Enterprise project.”

She continued: “I asked a question about why these documents were not submitted, and we were asked to send our questions in writing.”

Hewitt stressed the need for Infantino to provide clear answers, saying: “I think he has to answer these questions, and if he does not do so now, he is not qualified to be president of FIFA, and this is what was asked during the meeting.”

The English official acknowledged that Infantino's apology carried a degree of remorse, explaining that the Council members then expressed with complete frankness their position regarding what happened.

She said: “What I actually apologize for is not presenting the project to the council.” "If he feels this much remorse, he should share the documents with us."

Debbie Hewitt, Vice President of FIFA and President of the English Football Association, stated that when Infantino was asked by European officials to provide written evidence about his secret plan to involve private investors in the World Cup, a plan that caused global division, he asked them to put their questions in writing.

“He has to answer those questions,” Hewitt said. If he does not, he is certainly not qualified to hold the position of FIFA President.”

This escalation comes in light of the continuing dispute between Infantino and the European Football Association (UEFA), which is considered one of the most prominent parties opposing him, and has previously repeatedly called for him to step down from his position.

The European Union began preparing criminal legal procedures against Infantino, and also submitted requests before three American courts to oblige the relevant authorities to disclose all documents related to the project to sell commercial rights.

When Hewitt was asked whether Infantino's apology had changed her position, she replied: “From my point of view, nothing has changed. “I don’t have any new information that makes me feel differently, except that we now have a president who apologizes for what happened.”

In parallel with the confrontation within the FIFA Council, attention is turning to the presidential elections scheduled for next March, as Infantino prepares to enter a new race to retain his position, at a time when no prominent competitor has yet emerged capable of gathering the necessary support to confront him.

Former Tottenham and Swiss national team defender Ramon Vega announced his intention to run for president, but his chances of obtaining the five letters of support required from the national federations are still in doubt.

Prominent sources within European football revealed the desire of influential figures to nominate Frenchman Arsene Wenger, the former coach of Arsenal, to compete with Infantino.

Wenger's participation remains undecided, especially since he currently holds the position of head of global football development at FIFA, which means that his entry into the electoral race will put him in direct confrontation with his current president, without guarantees of success.

Hewitt acknowledged that the European Union and the rest of the parties opposing Infantino are required to find a candidate capable of entering the race before the deadline for submitting nominations on November 18.

She stressed the importance of real electoral competition, after Infantino won the presidency unopposed in the 2019 and 2023 elections.

She said: “I think it is important for Gianni to have someone running on a different platform, and it is good for FIFA to have these options available to him.”

She added: “We are in a democratic system, and we must remember that there are 211 national unions, and it is very important that all of these unions have the opportunity to vote according to their convictions.”

This escalation puts Infantino under intense pressure weeks before the closing of the presidential election candidacy, in light of continued demands to reveal the details of the project to sell commercial rights, and his opponents are not convinced that an apology alone is sufficient to end the crisis.

Bernd Neuendorf, President of the German Football Association, one of the eight European Union delegates to the 37-member FIFA Council headed by Infantino, said that the meeting did not provide satisfactory answers. This was the first council meeting since Infantino caused the crisis to erupt.

Neuendorf added to reporters: “We need someone with integrity, someone who can restore the reputation of the International Federation, which has undoubtedly been damaged.”

Brazilian star Vinicius Junior, the Spanish Real Madrid striker, expressed his dissatisfaction with the way the referees treated him, demanding greater protection for talented players like him, along with Lamine Yamal and Julian Alvarez.

Vinicius's statements came after Real Madrid's 4-3 victory over Roma in the Champions League on Wednesday, in a match in which the team succeeded in overturning a deficit to win. The Brazilian striker also admitted that his level has declined in the current period, but he stressed that he has no doubts about his ability to regain his best condition soon.

Real Madrid's confrontation with Roma coincided with the issuance of a decision to suspend him for 4 matches in the Spanish League, after he was expelled after he pulled the hair of one of the opposing team's players and objected to the referee's decision.

Vinicius said: “I do not remember that another player was suspended for 4 matches. I tried to push away the player who was in front of me, but my hands got tangled in his hair.”

He added: “The result was a red card, which surprised me very much. I did not say any offensive word to the referee that would require me to be suspended for 4 matches, but when it comes to Vinicius (Vinicius), making such decisions seems very easy.”

The Brazilian star continued: “The opposing team will always say that the punishment is justified, and so will the press, and I understand that. I am here to continue to develop and improve, because I know where I come from, and what I am capable of achieving.”

He explained: "It is understandable that the fans of the opposing teams boo me. My job is to score goals against their clubs, but I do not understand the actions of the referees."

He concluded his speech by saying: “I read the statistics. I was exposed to 500 fouls, which resulted in only 5 red cards. In the end, it seems that yellow cards always go to (Fini) and to the attacking players. We need to protect players who provide a different touch in the game, like Lamine in Barcelona or Julian in Atletico Madrid. Defenders are allowed to foul me throughout the match, but in the end, I find myself the one receiving the card.”

For his part, Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid's coach, expressed his dissatisfaction with the timing of the announcement of the suspension penalty.

Mourinho said: “Do you think it is normal for a player on a Spanish team, preparing for an important and decisive match for Spanish football, to discover the news that he has been suspended for 4 matches just two hours before the starting whistle?”