Fifa President Infantino Faces Criticism Over Governance Concerns
Fifa chief Gianni Infantino has been accused of “profound abuse of presidential power” by the global players’ union, Fifpro. This criticism arises from Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in a World Cup company to private investors.
Fifpro, which represents over 70 player unions worldwide, stated that the trust footballers had in Fifa has been “fundamentally broken” due to the conduct of Infantino.
In response, Fifa acknowledged that “mistakes” occurred in the development of the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) but insisted that Infantino retains the “full support” of the management board members present at a recent meeting in Morocco.
Fifpro expressed “deep concern” regarding Fifa’s statement. The union indicated that the withdrawal of FFE was unavoidable but emphasized that this action could not erase the issues exposed by the proposal.
According to Fifpro, the FFE plan could have permanently altered the ownership and governance of the Fifa World Cup, with discussions happening in secrecy and without involving relevant stakeholders until the proposal was nearly finalized.
“This is not merely a governance failure. It is a profound abuse of presidential power,” Fifpro stated, asserting that the abrupt withdrawal of the plan did not restore the confidence necessary for such proposals to be accepted.
Fifpro asserted that rebuilding this trust requires more than just crafted statements or internal reviews. It called for essential governance and structural reforms, stressing these should not serve as absolution for past decisions.
The players “did not create this crisis” and demand that football emerges with stronger institutions and safeguards.
Additionally, Fifpro has communicated with Fifa’s secretary general, Mattias Grafstrom, outlining its demands for governance reforms. Its letter emphasized that the role of the Fifa president is to protect institutions rather than act outside of them.
Fifpro highlighted that the handling of the FFE proposal is indicative of a “broader pattern” of decision-making without adequate consultation. They cited the introduction of hydration breaks in games as a similar example, arguing these decisions serve more commercial interests than player welfare.
While Fifpro signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Fifa before the World Cup, they reminded Grafstrom that such commitments lose significance if ignored whenever an individual opts to bypass established institutional protocols.
Fifa chief Gianni Infantino has been accused of a “profound abuse of presidential power” by the world players’ union, Fifpro.
The accusation stems from Mr Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in a World Cup company to private investors.
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Fifpro, which represents more than 70 player unions globally, stated that footballers’ confidence in Fifa had been “fundamentally broken” by the conduct of the global governing body’s president.
In response, Fifa issued a statement acknowledging that “mistakes” had been made in the plans to create Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE).
However, the organisation maintained that Mr Infantino had the “full support” of the members of its management board present at a meeting in Morocco on Wednesday.
Fifpro noted the tone of that statement with “deep concern” in a communication issued on Thursday, adding: “The withdrawal of FFE was inevitable. But withdrawing the proposal does not erase what it revealed.
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“A plan capable of permanently altering the ownership and governance of the Fifa World Cup, and commercialising the competitions built by generations of players, was conceived in secrecy, negotiated behind closed doors and brought to the brink of agreement before the Fifa Council, the member associations, players and football’s recognised stakeholders even knew it existed.
Infantino abandoned Fifa’s FFE plans (AP)
“That is not merely a governance failure. It is a profound abuse of presidential power.
“The withdrawal of FFE prevented an irreversible decision. It did not restore the confidence that made such a proposal possible in the first place. That confidence has now been fundamentally broken.
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“It cannot be rebuilt through carefully drafted statements, internal reviews or promises to improve processes. Nor can it be restored simply by announcing governance and structural reforms that should always have existed.
“These reforms are now indispensable. But they are the responsibility of the future, not an absolution of the past.
“The players did not create this crisis. They will insist that football emerges from it with stronger institutions, stronger safeguards and leadership worthy of the trust the game demands.”
Fifpro has also written to Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom outlining its demands for governance reform.
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Its letter, seen by the Press Association, stated: “The role of Fifa president exists to protect institutions, not to circumvent them. The World Cup is not the personal asset of any president. Nor is Fifa itself. They are held in trust for football.”
Fifpro’s letter said the FFE proposal’s handling was part of a “broader pattern” of decisions being taken without proper consultation – citing the introduction of hydration breaks as another example.
Fifpro said the breaks had been “presented under the banner of player health” but appeared in reality to be “closer to a proof-of-concept for future commercial exploitation by FFE-type investors than a genuine welfare measure”.
The players’ body signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Fifa the day before the World Cup kicked off, but wrote in its letter to Grafstrom: “The FFE episode demonstrated that commitments, however welcome, are of little value if they can be circumvented whenever one individual chooses to act outside the institutional framework.”
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