FIFA president Gianni Infantino has called an emergency meeting of the governing body’s senior leadership in Morocco as pressure continues to grow following the collapse of his controversial proposal to sell stakes in FIFA’s commercial and tournament operations.
The high-level meeting is scheduled to take place in Rabat on Wednesday and comes after fresh criticism from senior football figures, including FIFA’s own officials, over the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise project.
Senior FIFA officials distance themselves
According to BBC Sport, the meeting will include FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström, chief of global football development Arsène Wenger, finance chief Thomas Peyer, legal chief Emilio Garcia Silvero, chief of staff Daniel O’Toole, chief of member associations Elkhan Mammadov and media relations director Bryan Swanson.
The gathering follows a series of public statements distancing senior figures from the failed proposal.
Wenger said withdrawing the project was “absolutely necessary and beyond question,” insisting he only became aware of the initiative through media reports.
“I was not involved in this strategic plan and first became aware of the project through media reports,” Wenger said. “The decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond question, because I firmly believe in an independent FIFA that serves our game with commitment, transparency, and integrity.”
Grafström also criticised the controversy in an internal message to FIFA staff, describing the past week as “a sad and reproachable series of events.”
Opposition to Infantino grows
Jordan Football Association president Prince Ali also condemned the proposal, accusing FIFA of creating a situation that “amounts to blackmail” over unpaid prize money and support for Infantino’s bid for another term as president.
The abandoned investment plan has already triggered widespread backlash from several football governing bodies, with UEFA threatening legal action against FIFA over the handling of the proposal.
The controversy has also claimed its first senior casualty after FIFA adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned, describing the project as “a bad deal for football” that would have “mortgaged football’s future.”
