PARIS — Pressure on FIFA president Gianni Infantino intensified on Tuesday, with opposition emerging from within world football’s governing body as well as from external critics over his since-abandoned proposal to open the World Cup to private investment.
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, appointed in 2019 by Infantino as FIFA’s chief of global football development, said in a statement that “the decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond question.”
His remarks followed hot on the heels of an extraordinary internal email to FIFA staff, seen by Agence France-Presse (AFP), in which secretary-general Mattias Grafstrom appeared to distance himself from Infantino on the issue.
Previously seen as close to Infantino, Grafstrom describes the fiasco surrounding the plan as “a sad and reproachable series of events.”
He adds: “Individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go. The institution, its mission and its responsibility toward world football continue.”
FIFA had floated the plan last Tuesday, saying it could raise up to $4.2 billion based on a valuation of $20 billion for a new commercial subsidiary, called the FIFA Forward Enterprise, which it proposed would run events such as the World Cup and Club World Cup.
By Saturday, it was dead in the water as Infantino announced the humiliating climbdown after widespread condemnation, as UEFA wielded the nuclear option of boycotting all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.
Far from calming the waters or shoring up his presidency, Infantino has been swamped with criticism of his style of leadership and a previously smooth path to being reelected unopposed to a fourth and final term next March in Rabat now looks a very rocky one indeed.
He has reportedly summoned FIFA staff to a crisis meeting in the Moroccan capital as he attempts to cling onto power.
