Infantino Claims Having Strong Support Across Global Football
(MENAFN) FIFA President Gianni Infantino said he continues to enjoy the support of the “vast, vast majority” of the global football community, rejecting suggestions that he might step down after a contentious plan to hand part of FIFA’s commercial rights to a private investment firm fell apart.
Speaking in an interview on Saturday, Infantino defended his leadership and said disagreements within football’s governing body should not prevent progress.
“There is nothing bad in disagreeing,” he said. “We see it every day in so many countries in the world. It’s OK to disagree. It’s OK to have different points of view, but then we need to be able to move on.”
Infantino faced growing pressure to resign two months ago after controversy erupted over the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative.
In September, the English Premier League, Germany’s Bundesliga, Spain’s La Liga and Italy’s Serie A jointly called for “fundamental” changes at FIFA. They accused the organization of placing excessive regulatory, commercial and political authority in the hands of its president.
The FFE plan would have transferred a share of FIFA’s commercial rights, including rights associated with competitions such as the World Cup, to a private investment firm through a newly established commercial entity.
Speaking in an interview on Saturday, Infantino defended his leadership and said disagreements within football’s governing body should not prevent progress.
“There is nothing bad in disagreeing,” he said. “We see it every day in so many countries in the world. It’s OK to disagree. It’s OK to have different points of view, but then we need to be able to move on.”
Infantino faced growing pressure to resign two months ago after controversy erupted over the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative.
In September, the English Premier League, Germany’s Bundesliga, Spain’s La Liga and Italy’s Serie A jointly called for “fundamental” changes at FIFA. They accused the organization of placing excessive regulatory, commercial and political authority in the hands of its president.
The FFE plan would have transferred a share of FIFA’s commercial rights, including rights associated with competitions such as the World Cup, to a private investment firm through a newly established commercial entity.
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