ZURICH (AP) — Gianni Infantino apologized to FIFA’s governing committee on Thursday for “mistakes” in his secret World Cup investment plan, but did not provide the details sought by his harshest critics who want to oust him as president of football’s governing body.
Football officials came to Zurich for the meeting hoping to get more information about two of the year’s biggest controversies surrounding Infantino: his now-suspended $4.2 billion World Cup sell-off plan, and President Donald Trump’s intervention in the case of Folarin Balogun’s red card at the World Cup.
Read more: Infantino abandons his World Cup equity plans after fierce opposition from FIFA. Here’s what you need to know
Despite Infantino’s apology, European delegates said they were disappointed at the lack of clarity on both issues at the end of the meeting.
“No satisfactory answer was provided,” said German football leader Bernd Neuendorf, one of eight representatives from European soccer federation UEFA on the 37-member FIFA council, chaired by Infantino.
Infantino did not provide any documents about the $4.2 billion World Cup sell-off plan he launched but quickly abandoned in July amid strong opposition from Europe.
European representatives present at the meeting later told reporters that he also did not explain in detail the incident of Folarin Balogun’s red card at the World Cup or how US President Trump intervened to help the national team move forward.
However, FIFA will review whether to continue awarding the Peace Prize established for Trump in December last year.
Infantino frustrated European delegates by submitting written questions at the only meeting before the Nov. 18 deadline to challenge him in March’s FIFA presidential election.
“This man has to answer these questions. If he doesn’t answer these questions, no, he is not fit to be FIFA president,” said Debbie Hewitt, president of the English Football Association and vice-president of FIFA.
She said Infantino apologized “with some contrition.”
FIFA says details of investment proposal are confidential
European soccer officials have pressured Infantino to provide written evidence that he and investor Joshua Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, had hatched a secret private equity plan for the World Cup business rights arm.
The proposal, dubbed “FIFA’s Forward Enterprise”, has sparked global divisions and triggered the biggest crisis of Infantino’s nearly 11-year presidency.
The FIFA president did not address the media after a 3.5-hour meeting in Zurich but issued a video statement.
“I apologize for the mistakes we made during the communication and consultation process related to the FIFA Forward Enterprise project, which led to many consequences,” Infantino said.
He noted that this is “just a proposal, so it’s not done yet.”
FIFA said in a separate statement that details of the investor project remained confidential due to ongoing legal proceedings in the United States.
The committee is FIFA’s main decision-making body and its officials are spread across the globe – most are the presidents of their respective national federations, such as the United States’ Cindy Palo-Cohen – elected to four-year terms by each continent’s football body.
FIFA pays each president an annual allowance of US$250,000, of which the mainland chairman’s allowance is US$300,000.
UEFA takes legal action against FIFA, Infantino and Kushner in US
European football’s governing body UEFA is leading an attempt to oust Infantino before or during March’s FIFA presidential election.
Infantino worked secretly for months on the Kushner plan, angering soccer leaders in Europe, North America and Asia. It reinforces UEFA’s long-standing perception that the FIFA boss planned his biggest project without consulting them.
“We need someone with integrity, someone who can restore the reputation of the association, which has undoubtedly been lost,” Neuendorf told reporters.
UEFA also asked the US court to have the right to obtain evidence for Swiss criminal proceedings against Infantino. Court documents allege that his emphasis on a prospective subsidiary that would run the tournament’s commercial rights may have mismanaged FIFA’s finances.
At least 20% of the company is owned by investors led by Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Documents filed by FIFA’s lawyers in response to requests to delay or stop evidence called it a “smear campaign” by UEFA.
Support for Infantino comes from Africa
For much of the past 50 years, FIFA’s constituencies from Africa – 54 of the current 211 member federations are from Africa – have been key to gaining and maintaining power.
Ahmed Yahya, a member of the FIFA Council and president of the Mauritanian Football Federation, said: “The key for us is that we believe that Jani is the right person to continue to lead football.”
Infantino’s proposal to increase funding by $15 million to each of FIFA’s 211 members over the next four years advanced Thursday. They are already guaranteed to receive $10 million each from FIFA by 2030.
“I said President Gianni Infantino is promoting football around the world,” Yahya said. “I’m from the African continent and know what I’m talking about.”
The FIFA presidential election meeting will be held on March 18 in Rabat, the capital of Morocco, Infantino’s political ally. Its football leader Fouzi Lekjaa is an influential council member. Morocco will co-host the 2030 World Cup along with Spain and Portugal.
Morocco is also competing with Spain, an influential member of UEFA, for the right to host the 2030 final. This decision by FIFA is a potential factor in the election of the league before March.
Qatar to support Infantino at next FIFA Council
The next meeting of the FIFA Council will be held on December 16 in Doha, Qatar, which hosts the 2022 World Cup and remains loyal to Infantino.
Another ally is Azerbaijan – whose top football official Elhan Mamedov is an aide in Infantino’s inner circle – which will host a global men’s tournament for under-15 teams later this month. The event provided a lobbying opportunity for his campaign.
FIFA will also hold an extraordinary general meeting on November 23 (five days after the deadline for candidates) to confirm the organizers of the 2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cups. The only bids are for 2031 from the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica and for 2035 from the four English football federations.
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