FIFA President Convenes Emergency Crisis Meeting in Morocco

FIFA President Gianni Infantino will hold a crisis meeting with top officials in Morocco on Wednesday as he seeks to shore up his position in the wake of the collapse of his plan to sell off commercial rights to the World Cup.

Since Infantino floated the idea of the new commercial rights body to FIFA’s 211 member associations last week, he has faced a torrent of criticism – and no small amount of personal abuse.

Many critics found the most shocking part of the plan to be the proposal to sell 20% of the body to private investment in an effort to raise $4.2 billion, and the involvement of a company with family ties to US President Donald Trump.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino (L) with US President Donaldo Trump.

His climbdown last Friday has done little to assuage those critics, chief among them the European confederation, UEFA, who accused him of selling the soul of the game and have declared they have no confidence left in his leadership.

That has cast a shadow over Infantino’s bid for a fourth term at the FIFA Congress in Morocco in March, which seemed like a foregone conclusion two months ago.

A few European federations have withdrawn their support for the Swiss-Italian but perhaps more damaging is the ​messaging coming from some of Infantino’s colleagues at FIFA.

FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom sent an internal memo to staff lamenting the “sad and reproachable series of events” that resulted in the project being “permanently abandoned”, two sources said.

“People, shaky times and unfortunate incidents come and go. The institution, its mission and its accountability to world football continue…” the Swede added in the letter which did not name Infantino.

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His remarks echoed those of FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour who told staff last week they had been “deceived” over the plan which he called “the project of one person”.

Infantino’s senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro ​resigned last week in protest at the plan and former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger distanced himself from it on Tuesday.

“Absolutely necessary” – that’s how FIFA’s Global Football Development chief, Wenger, described the decision to withdraw the proposal, though he said he was not involved in drafting it.

SURVIVE SEVEN MONTHS TO ELECTION

Infantino has spent the last week in Morocco who will co-host the next World Cup in 2030 and whose football association have already declared their continued support for him.

Wednesday’s meeting at FIFA’s Africa office in Sale, across the Bou Regreg river from the Moroccan capital Rabat, is likely to kick off with an assurance that Infantino at least survives the seven months to the election.

An Extraordinary Congress shall be convened if the request to convene such a Congress is made in writing by 43 or more member associations of FIFA.

According to a report in Monday’s Times of London, UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) are determined to force Infantino out of office, by paralysing FIFA and even starting up their own competitions if he refuses to go.

CONCACAF, the AFC and FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. UEFA declined to comment.

CONCACAF, which runs soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean, and the AFC have backed UEFA, but not all national associations will follow their confederation’s lead.

Kuwait, Lebanon, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, along with 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar, have pledged their allegiance to Infantino despite the AFC’s position.

Infantino has always enjoyed considerable backing beyond the traditional heartlands of the game, where poor football associations rely on FIFA’s largesse to function.

His proposal was pitched at ​those associations with promises ​of a dividend of $20 million to $40 million at the start of next year for each national body which supported the plan.

AFRICAN ADMINISTRATORS SUPPORT INFANTINO

Top African football administrators send messages of support as Infantino turns to the continent’s 54 members for backing The African confederation (CAF) has yet to decide.

Next Wednesday the executive committee of Oceania, the smallest and poorest confederation, will meet to discuss its position.

“I think it’s going to be really interesting for the international football community over the next couple of weeks,” New Zealand Football boss Andrew Pragnell said on Tuesday.

“It’s really important for a country like New Zealand to have a lot of contact with its confederation.” It helps when you move in concert with your confederation.”

Under FIFA rules, the vote of San Marino, whose men’s team is ranked 211th, last in the world rankings, counts the same as that of World Cup winners Brazil, Germany, Argentina and Spain.

For Infantino, the lack of a clear candidate to challenge him in March’s election is a clear advantage in his bid to extend his presidency to 2031.

Jordan FA President Prince Ali bin Hussein has twice run for the post, losing to Sepp Blatter in 2015 and finishing third behind Infantino and AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa the following year.

Prince Ali said on Tuesday he had taken his position on the current crisis, accusing FIFA of “blackmail” and saying it had offered to help solve problems in return for backing Infantino.

Prince Ali wrote on social media: “We did not endorse him before and we certainly will not now.