Infantino Apologises For Rights Plan as FIFA Council Meets

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has apologised to the organisation’s Council over his abandoned plan to transfer part of the world governing body’s commercial rights to a private investment firm, but has faced demands to release documents and answer questions about the proposal.

According to the BBC, the FIFA Council met in Zurich on Thursday for the first time since details of the secret Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal emerged. The plan was withdrawn within days of its disclosure.

During a three-and-a-half-hour meeting, Infantino also faced questions over the suspension of US striker Folarin Balogun’s red-card ban, the FIFA Peace Prize awarded to US President Donald Trump and funding for national football associations.

Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt, who is also a FIFA vice-president, said several questions remained unanswered despite what she described as the “most robust, most frank, most open Council meeting” she had experienced.

“One of the disappointing things is that we didn’t get answers to anything that we had specifically requested – for example getting the papers from FFE,” Hewitt said.

“I asked the question ‘why not?’ – and we were asked to submit those questions in writing.

“I think the man has to answer those questions and if he doesn’t answer those questions now, he’s not fit to be Fifa president – and that was what was shared in the meeting.”

Hewitt said she had repeatedly requested the documents relating to the FFE proposal but had yet to receive them, including after the latest Council meeting.

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“I’ve repeatedly asked for the papers to be shared. I haven’t received them and still in spite of the request today, I haven’t received them.

“It is the rationale for why FFE happened in the way that it did, the Balogun case, the Peace Prize.

“The responses to those questions, which I still don’t have answers to, will determine from my personal point of view whether or not Gianni is the right candidate.

“That will be the point at which or not we can say that any individual that was involved in FFE can or cannot be trusted because until we see what actually happened it’s very difficult to say behaviour needs or not to change.”

She acknowledged that Infantino had shown “some contrition” in his apology but said the Council had also expressed strong concerns about the handling of the proposal.

“Then there were no holds barred in terms of what we felt about what had happened,” she added.

“What he really apologised for was not bringing it to the Council. If you regret it that deeply, share it with us.”

UEFA, European football’s governing body, has been among Infantino’s strongest critics and has repeatedly called for him to step down.

The organisation has prepared criminal legal proceedings against the FIFA president and lodged claims in three US courts seeking the release of documents relating to the FFE proposal.

Hewitt said she hoped Infantino would release the documents voluntarily to allow Council members to establish what happened and determine whether further action was necessary.

“Those papers coming to Council are a crucial next part of us feeling comfortable as to what, if any, criminal proceedings need to take place,” she said.

Asked whether UEFA’s position on Infantino had changed, Hewitt said: “From my position, nothing has shifted. I’ve no new information that makes me feel any differently, other than we do have a president who is apologetic.”

Infantino is expected to seek a third term as FIFA president in March, with no credible challenger having emerged so far.

Former Tottenham Hotspur and Switzerland defender Ramon Vega has announced his intention to contest the election, but he is considered unlikely to secure the required five letters of support from member associations to become a serious contender.

Senior figures in European football have told BBC Sport that they would prefer former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to enter the race. However, it remains unclear whether Wenger would leave his position as FIFA’s global head of football development to challenge Infantino.

Hewitt acknowledged that UEFA and other opponents of the incumbent president would need to identify a candidate before the 18 November deadline.

She also said a contested election would give member associations an opportunity to choose between candidates with different plans for the organisation, noting that Infantino was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.

“I think it’s important to Gianni to have somebody who stands with a different manifesto, and good for Fifa to have that choice,” Hewitt added.

“We’re in a democracy here. We must remember there are 211 associations and it’s really important that all 211 associations have the opportunity to vote according to how they feel.

“This is somebody first and foremost who puts football first right at the heart of everything that they do. Secondly, it has to be somebody who unites the world. Thirdly, somebody who needs to have the courage to bring about reforms.”

Hewitt also identified the decision to suspend Balogun’s ban following his dismissal at the World Cup as one of the major concerns raised during the meeting.

The suspension came after US President Donald Trump asked for the decision to be reviewed.

BBC Sport understands that a proposal was presented to the Council to amend FIFA’s disciplinary code to prevent a similar situation from occurring again.

Under the proposed change, the disciplinary committee would be prohibited from suspending an automatic one-match ban imposed for a red card.

“What happened in July did not serve football… whether it’s the Balogun case, the FFE case… the reputation of football was put under serious threat,” Hewitt said.

“Once behaviour starts to influence what happens on the pitch, then I think it’s a dark day for football and a number of people said that in the room.”

The FIFA Peace Prize, which was awarded to Trump, was another subject discussed by the Council. Hewitt said members also raised concerns about Infantino’s interactions with other prominent figures.

“When he puts other dignitaries in front of his 211 associations, then he’s lost what football is about,” she said.

“And that was said by a number of people, not just the Europeans.”

The circumstances surrounding the Peace Prize award will be investigated by FIFA’s social committee.

“They will consider, first of all, how the Peace Prize came about, whether it should have come about, whether it should have been awarded in the way that it was, who made that decision and whether or not it should be taken out or whether it should be reformed,” Hewitt said.

“That committee will report back to Council in December and then Council will make the decision based on its recommendation.

“Today there was a watershed moment where it’s very clear in order to move forward, which we all want to do, we have to understand the past.”