Finger turns against Infantino
Pressure mounted on FIFA President Gianni Infantino, a Swiss-Italian, on Monday, as opposition emerged from within the global football governing body, alongside external criticism, over his proposal—later retracted—to open the door to private investment in the World Cup.
Arsène Wenger, the former Arsenal manager whom Infantino appointed in 2019 as Director of Global Football Development at FIFA, stated in a message on Monday that “the decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond dispute.” Wenger, Arsenal’s most successful manager in history, joined the wave of opponents, clarifying that he had opposed the project from the outset.
“In my capacity as Director of Global Football Development at FIFA, I oversee, along with my team, the analysis of game data and FIFA’s e-learning center, as well as the development of youth education through 60 academies in 60 countries where the need is greatest, alongside youth competitions worldwide,” he said in his statement. “I also serve as a technical advisor to the International Football Association Board (IFAB). I was not involved in this strategic plan, and I only learned of the project through media reports.”
His comments came shortly after an exceptional internal email sent by FIFA Secretary General Matthieu Chalmé, which appeared to distance him from Infantino on this issue. Chalmé, previously viewed as one of Infantino’s close allies, described the chaos surrounding the project as “a regrettable and blameworthy series of events.” He added, “Individuals and unstable moments, as well as unfortunate incidents, come and go. The institution, its mission, and its responsibility to global football, however, endure.”
FIFA launched the project last Tuesday, claiming it could generate up to $4.2 billion, based on a valuation of $20 billion for a new commercial subsidiary named “FIFA Forward Enterprise,” which was proposed to manage tournaments such as the World Cup and the Club World Cup. However, the project collapsed by Saturday, when Infantino announced his embarrassing retreat following a wave of widespread condemnation. At the time, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) had threatened the “nuclear option” of boycotting all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.
Rather than calming tensions or strengthening his presidential position, Infantino found himself mired in criticism of his leadership style. The path that once seemed clear for his uncontested re-election to a fourth and final term in Rabat next March has become rougher than ever. While this may pose a future problem, he currently faces other challenges.
Despite withdrawing the project, UEFA, through its US legal counsel, sent a letter threatening legal action over what it sharply described as a “poor and opaque deal struck behind closed doors.” The letter mentioned Chalmé and Wenger, along with FIFA’s Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamothe, who strongly criticized the project on Friday, noting that they were aware of the “FIFA Forward Enterprise” project and were requested to retain all “relevant materials.”
Several national member associations of UEFA, including Wales, Finland, Sweden, and Serbia, withdrew letters of support they had previously sent to back Infantino. Meanwhile, strong rumors suggest that the English Football Association is on the verge of joining them.
