📝Articles Day 7

Infantino under huge pressure after plan for World Cup sell-off sparks resignation and rebuke

The walls started closing in on Gianni Infantino after another dramatic day that saw one of his senior advisers resign and brought a scathing rebuke from Fifa’s own chief operating officer.
Infantino is under huge pressure after his plan to sell chunks of the World Cup to private investors met a tide of opposition from around the globe. European countries have already promised to boycott Fifa competitions if he does not shelve the scheme but Friday’s developments, which led to two key members of his inner circle distancing themselves from him, may prove equally damaging to any prospects of salvaging his presidency.

The resignation of Carlos Cordeiro, one of Infantino’s senior advisers since 2021, struck a fresh blow upon Infantino hours after Uefa’s 55 members had unanimously threatened a boycott. Cordeiro, a former US Soccer chief, said Infantino had proposed “a bad deal for Fifa’s member associations, a bad deal for football, and a bad deal for the long-term future of the game”. He questioned the lack of transparency in Fifa’s process and pointed out that the governing body is sitting on vast debt-free reserves that could be used to fund development.
“Why this deal?” he asked. “Why now? What oversight exists? Who benefits? Was there a competitive process? What governance will be in place? What will investors ultimately gain, and at what cost to football?”

“We all want to be proud to work for Fifa, and today, unfortunately, it seems that is no longer the case for many of us” - Kevin Lamour, Fifa chief operating officer
“What has been announced in recent days and what has been happening behind the scenes in recent months defies belief and imagination,” Lamour said. “To put it very clearly and directly: the project that has sparked so much controversy and debate is not a Fifa project. It is even less a project of Fifa’s administration. It is the project of one person.

“The Fifa vice-presidents, the members of the Fifa Council, the confederations, the federations, the players, the leagues, the clubs, and the fans were not the only ones who were ignored. Fifa’s own administration was also deceived.
“This lie by omission over many months and this unilateral exercise of power are not trivial. They are indicative of a lack of trust, a lack of transparency, a lack of discernment, a lack of good governance. And a serious lack of respect.”

From theguardian.com