Shameless Gianni Infantino has been given the ‘full support’ of FIFA’s top brass – and is set to remain as president – after summoning execs to crisis talks in Morocco.
At the end of another extraordinary day in the World Cup sell-off scandal, which saw Luis Figo become the latest high-profile name to call for Infantino’s head in a blistering attack in Daily Mail Sport, a FIFA statement suggested its under-fire supremo survives, for now.
In a searing 601-word assault Figo had described Infantino’s now-aborted plan to flog a stake in the World Cup to private investors as the ‘lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed’ and a ‘grubby, underhand plot’.
His explosive words ramped up the pressure on Infantino, who had called a crisis meeting in Rabat as he attempted to cling to power.
It would now appear, however, that he has managed to do so. A lengthy statement from FIFA late on Wednesday night admitted mistakes were made, but said they have now apologised in a letter to the various football associations and that a ‘review’ will be carried out.
The statement said that, following the meeting, FIFA’s secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, who had criticised Infantino, and other management board members in attendance ‘reaffirmed their full support for the president’.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino (right) and FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström (left) appeared in high spirits while watching a women’s AFCON game on Wednesday night
For good measure, it added: ‘FIFA will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process and will take all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation.
‘There are always lessons to be learned, and FIFA will continue to improve its processes in light of this experience. In this instance, however, it is important to stress that, although mistakes were made, everything that was done was done in full compliance with the FIFA regulatory framework.’
Figo, the former Barcelona and Real Madrid star, who initially backed Infantino in 2015, branded the Swiss a ‘relic who should have no part in football’s future’ and accused him of ‘a litany of abuses’.
Aside from the World Cup sell-off, he referenced the decision to suspend the ban for USA striker Folarin Balogun after his red card at the World Cup and the half-time show during the final which ‘broke the laws of the game’.
‘Infantino has debased the office of FIFA president he promised to elevate,’ he wrote.
‘He has lied, deceived and tried to feather his own nest at the expense of the game he is supposed to serve.’
Figo’s comments came after an attack by UEFA, which said it had lost confidence in Infantino, calling his proposal to flog commercial and event operations a ‘shabby, back room, opaque deal’.
Amid heavy criticism and calls for Infantino to go, Grafstrom sent an all-staff memo describing the situation as ‘sad and reproachable’ and adding ‘individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go.’
However, second-in-command Grafstrom was pictured laughing and joking with Infantino at a women’s Africa Cup of Nations game following the meeting, ahead of the release of the statement.
Should he survive, Infantino would face re-election in March, and would need 106 votes from Fifa’s 211 members to win another term in charge of the global game.
Infantino arrived at the crunch meeting in Morocco earlier on Wednesday amid mounting pressure.
He had summoned senior FIFA officials to the Moroccan city of Sale for crisis talks after plans to sell £3.1billion in World Cup stakes leaked last week
The Swiss football administrator has since scrapped the proposals after widespread opposition – including an internal rebellion at FIFA.
UEFA and CONCACAF – the body for North and Central America and the Caribbean – are both calling for Infantino to step down, with Europe declaring a lack of confidence in the FIFA president.
Pressure grew further after Jordan FA president Prince Ali bin Hussein accused him of blackmail, becoming the first Asian nation to rebel against the FIFA president.
Jordan became the 91st member association to move against Infantino, assuming all UEFA and CONCACAF nations follow the stance set by their continental bodies. 106 nations are needed to depose Infantino as president.
FIFA President Infantino arrived at an emergency meeting in Sale, Morocco on Wednesday
Infantino is facing mounting pressure over his failed plan to sell off stakes in the FIFA World Cup
Football legend Luis Figo became the latest high-profile individual to call for him to resign, while Arsene Wenger distanced himself from Infantino’s plans
A car carrying Infantino was seen arriving at FIFA’s Africa regional office in Sale on Wednesday.
The meeting comes hours after Figo became the latest major name in football to demand his resignation.
In an explosive piece for Daily Mail Sport, which further ramped up the pressure on the under-fire FIFA chief, the Portuguese legend described his now aborted World Cup sell-off as the ‘lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed’ and a ‘grubby, underhand plot’.
Across 600 no-holds-barred words Figo, who had initially backed Infantino in 2015, brands the disgraced exec a ‘relic who should have no part in football’s future’ and accuses him of ‘a litany of abuses’, also referencing the now-infamous suspension of the ban behind Folarin Balogun’s red card and the half-time show at the World Cup final which ‘broke the laws of the game’.
‘Infantino has debased the office of FIFA President that he promised to elevate,’ the former Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan star writes. ‘He has lied, deceived and tried to feather his own nest at the expense of the game he is supposed to serve.’
Figo, now 53, is viewed by many as a potential successor to Aleksandr Ceferin, head of UEFA which is leading the war against Infantino.
Figo and Jordan’s Prince Ali had both previously stood against former FIFA president Sepp Blatter in the 2015 elections.
Figo ultimately withdrew from the process, while Prince Ali pulled out after the second round of voting. Blatter announced his resignation four days after re-election amid a vast backlash.
Infantino is facing his own backlash following his World Cup plans, with FIFA’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour saying he was ‘deceived’ by the project and others, including chief of global football development Arsene Wenger, have distanced themselves from the hastily dropped plan.
Figo branded Infantino as a ‘relic who should have no part in football’s future’ in an explosive article for Daily Mail Sport
Figo, who had initially backed Infantino in 2015, claimed the Swiss official has ‘debased the office of FIFA President’
With morale among staff said to be ‘rock bottom’ according to insiders, secretary general Grafstrom sent an internal email to staff citing ‘a sad and reproachable series of events’ and perhaps tellingly pointing out that ‘individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go’.
Figo, a former FIFA presidential candidate, starts: ‘I could write 10,000 words on the problems at FIFA. But the solution needs only three: Infantino must go.’
He adds: ‘I have loved football all my life. I was a professional player for 20 years. And believe me, I have met some rogues in my time in the game. But what I have seen exposed in the last ten days is the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed. The man who would do that – the man who would try to force through such major changes just to enrich himself and his friends – is a relic of the game’s past and should have no part in its future.’
The Portuguese, who won 127 caps for his country, then rounds on Infantino for a lack of transparency. ’If it was such a good idea, why not tell your members when you had them all in a room before the World Cup Final?’ he asks.
‘If it was such a robust plan, why not tell your members the risks as well as what you describe as the benefits?
‘If the scheme was a no-brainer, why not be honest about the fact that it was going to give you a $30m a year job at the end of it?’
Figo adds: ‘None of this was done. Because it’s not a good idea. It’s not robust when you fail to be transparent about the crippling returns that private equity always seek.
‘It’s not bold when you fail to explain that once you have sold your share it is gone forever and you have disinherited your successors from ownership of the World Cup.
FIFA legends have reportedly declined to publicly support Infantino amid the backlash to his plans
‘And it’s not honest when you fail to mention that, after you have delivered the head of the World Cup on a platter to your mates in DC, they are going to give you a job worth five times your current salary.’
Figo then highlights FIFA’s staggering level of wealth, asking how many shares the $5billion in its reserves ‘could buy in this grubby, underhand plot’.
‘Infantino has debased the office of FIFA President that he promised to elevate,’ he writes. ‘He has lied, deceived and tried to feather his own nest at the expense of the game he is supposed to serve…he should go. Now.’
According to The Times, allies of Infantino had been trying to persuade ‘FIFA legends’ to publicly support Infantino, but have been unsuccessful.
The FIFA legends are among former international players who have been paid to appear at the governing body’s events.
