Gianni Infantino apologized to the FIFA Council for the controversy sparked by his private investment plan for the World Cup, but the meeting left key issues unresolved, such as the sale of the tournament’s commercial assets and the expulsion of Folarin Balogun.
The FIFA president appeared Thursday before the 37-member Executive Committee in a three-and-a-half-hour meeting that highlighted the differences between Infantino and several European soccer leaders.
Although he acknowledged the uproar caused by his investment proposal with businessman Joshua Kushner, Infantino did not present any new documents or details to clarify doubts about the project—valued at $4.2 billion and scrapped in July.
According to Debbie Hewitt, FIFA vice president and president of the English Football Association, Infantino apologized for taking his colleagues by surprise and for the consequences of the plan, the existence of which came to light nine days after the World Cup final in July.
However, the apology was not enough for critics of the president of world soccer’s governing body.
“That man has to answer those questions. If he doesn’t answer them, no, he’s not fit to be FIFA president,” Hewitt said, referring to the explanations that are still pending.
UEFA Keeps Up the Pressure on Infantino
UEFA is leading the criticism against Infantino and is seeking to push for his departure before or during the FIFA presidential elections scheduled for March.
Following the meeting, German official Bernd Neuendorf stated that the answers provided were not satisfactory. Neuendorf is one of the eight UEFA representatives on the FIFA Council.
“We need a person of integrity, someone who can be expected to restore the association’s reputation, which has undoubtedly been lost,” declared the president of German soccer.
The controversy also reached U.S. courts, where UEFA requested access to evidence to support a criminal complaint against Infantino in Switzerland.
The court documents raise questions about possible irregularities in the management of FIFA’s finances, related to the valuation of a subsidiary that would be responsible for administering the World Cup’s commercial rights.
The plan called for at least 20% of that subsidiary to be held by investors led by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Balogun and the Peace Prize Remain Pending
The meeting also did not address the details of the red card shown to Folarin Balogun during the World Cup or Donald Trump’s alleged intervention to help the U.S. national team.
Another issue still under review is the peace prize created by FIFA and awarded to Trump last December. The organization will consider whether to continue awarding this honor in the future.
For now, Infantino’s apologies have not dispelled doubts about his investment plan nor have they succeeded in easing the pressure from European leaders, who continue to demand explanations for decisions they consider fundamental to FIFA’s transparency and reputation.
