The apology session presented by Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), before members of the Federation Council in Zurich, on Thursday, turned into an open confrontation with his European opponents, after the presidents of the German and English federations accused him of being unable to provide answers regarding controversial financial and administrative files, in conjunction with secret movements led by influential figures in European football to present a surprise candidate to compete with him in the presidential elections scheduled for next March.
According to reports published by the British newspapers “The Telegraph” and “The Guardian” and the British Broadcasting Corporation “BBC”, the meeting, which lasted three and a half hours, in the presence of the 37 members of the FIFA Council, witnessed Infantino apologizing for not consulting with them regarding the “FIFA Forward Enterprise” project, which aimed to sell a share of the international federation’s commercial rights, including rights related to the World Cup, to a private investment company, before canceling it following widespread objections. Big rejection.
The apology did not convince European officials, especially after Infantino refused to provide the required documents and answer dozens of questions related to the project, and the decision to cancel the suspension of American striker Folarin Balogun during the World Cup, following intervention by US President Donald Trump, in addition to the controversy surrounding the awarding of the latter the “FIFA Peace Prize.”
Debbie Hewitt, President of the English Football Association and Vice-President of FIFA, said: We did not receive answers to any of the matters that we specifically requested, including the documents for the “FIFA Forward Enterprise” project. I asked why, and we were asked to submit our questions in writing.
She added in statements after the meeting: I believe that Infantino must answer these questions, and if he does not do so, he is not qualified to be FIFA president, and this is what was raised during the meeting.
Hewitt explained that Infantino showed a degree of remorse, but his apology was focused on not presenting the project to the council, and not on the project itself, adding: If he feels this amount of remorse, he should share the documents with us.
She described the discussions as open, frank, and without reservations, stressing that she left the meeting after presenting everything she wanted to say, and that her position on Infantino did not change, except that he became president and apologized.
As for Bernd Neuendorf, President of the German Federation, he went further, calling for a comprehensive reform of FIFA’s management and governance system, stressing the impossibility of achieving this under the current leadership.
He said: The entire administration and the entire governance system must be reformed, and I am completely clear that this is not possible with Gianni in charge of FIFA. We need a completely new beginning, and a political change in the people who represent the International Federation.
He added: Yes, he apologized, but I did not feel that his apology was for the entire project, but rather for not presenting it to the Council, and not involving anyone in it.
In a remarkable development, it was decided to assign Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation, to head a new committee to study governance reforms within FIFA, a task that European officials hope will include a comprehensive review of management and decision-making mechanisms.
The meeting also witnessed the postponement of a decision on a proposal to amend the disciplinary regulations that would have prevented the cancellation of suspension penalties resulting from direct red cards, after council members requested additional information regarding the circumstances of lifting Balogun’s penalty. Infantino pledged to provide information during the next meeting in Doha on December 16.
The FIFA Peace Prize file was referred to the Social Responsibility Committee, to study whether to continue awarding it this year, or to be satisfied with Trump as its sole winner. The Council also approved a proposal to distribute $3.5 billion from the International Federation’s financial reserves to support national federations during a four-year financial cycle.
In parallel with the confrontation within the Council, The Telegraph revealed secret communications taking place between prominent European figures to agree on a credible candidate with the ability to unite Infantino’s opponents, before nominations close on November 18.
Two informed sources confirmed the existence of these movements, while taking care to keep the identity of the candidate secret to prevent the circle around Infantino from moving to abort his candidacy. One of the sources said that “the bets are very high” to reveal the name now.
Neuendorf expressed great confidence in finding a competitor, a position shared by leading figures in the European Football Association (UEFA), who tend to delay announcing the candidate until the deadline for nominations approaches.
Infantino appeared to be on his way to being re-elected without competition, after he gained the support of about 200 of the 211 national federations before the World Cup. However, the crisis in the sale of commercial rights weakened his political position, and prompted him to intensify his contacts with African federations, and others, to strengthen his support base.
Prominent names declined to enter the race, led by Canadian Victor Montagliani, president of the North, Central American and Caribbean Confederation (CONCACAF), who was the preferred choice of some of Infantino’s opponents, before he decided to focus on his re-election to the presidency of his continental confederation.
Nasser Al-Khelaifi, President of Paris Saint-Germain, and Norwegian Lise Klavenes, President of the Norwegian Federation, also ruled out running in the elections, along with the presidents of the three continental federations, Alexander Tsiverin, Montagliani, and Salman bin Ibrahim.
Other names were circulated in European circles, including Jordanian Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, Frenchman Arsene Wenger, head of global football development at FIFA, Michelle Kang, owner of French Lyon and a number of women's clubs, and Portuguese Luis Figo, who called on Infantino to resign in August. However, the prospects of Wenger and Kang's candidacy were met with skepticism, while former Swiss defender Ramon Vega announced his desire to compete, amid doubts about his ability to secure the five required letters of support.
Hewitt stressed the necessity of having a competitor who offers a different program, saying: “We are in a democratic system, and we have 211 member associations, and it is important for them to have the opportunity to vote according to their convictions, and the best way to do that is to have multiple options,” after Infantino won without a competitor in the 2019 and 2023 elections.
These moves coincide with the escalation of the legal confrontation between Infantino and UEFA, which is preparing to take criminal proceedings in Switzerland, and has submitted requests before three American courts to obtain documents related to the project to sell commercial rights.
Infantino is also facing scrutiny regarding his relationship with Trump, and accusations of not properly disclosing an amount amounting to 1.3 million pounds sterling, which was described as a “second salary.”
FIFA denied these accusations, stressing that its president does not receive a second salary, and that his compensation and benefits are decided by an independent committee, while the accounts are subject to external audit, and the disclosures are consistent with the applicable tax systems.
The crisis brings to the fore Infantino's pledges to reform the International Federation when he succeeded Joseph Blatter, and his previous participation in setting rules requiring FIFA to disclose the salaries and bonuses of its senior officials.
Michael Payne, a former marketing official at the International Olympic Committee, described Infantino's ability to survive crises as similar to the tricks of the famous magician Houdini, expressing his astonishment that a serious competitor has not yet emerged, and considering that his re-election will give the expression "escape Houdini-style" a new meaning.
As the candidacy window approaches, Infantino's opponents find themselves facing a decisive test to turn their anger into an actual electoral competition, while the FIFA president continues to prepare to run in the race in pursuit of a fourth and final presidential term.
