September 17: FIFA will present a review of the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan at its next Council meeting following criticism from Danish football boss Jesper Moller.
Last week, Moller questioned the lack of answers FIFA had provided over the failed plan to sell a minority stake in the World Cup to private equity, sparking an unprecedented governance crisis in the world game.
“The FIFA Standing Committees advise and assist the FIFA Council in their respective areas in accordance with the FIFA Statutes and Governing Regulations,” FIFA said in a statement. “As previously communicated, a review of the withdrawn FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal will be presented to the FIFA Council.”
The FIFA Council is one of the world federation’s highest decision-making bodies, but its members have often only rubber-stamped decisions made by Infantino or the FIFA administration. They get paid $250,000 for a handful of meetings each year.
Infantino has resisted pressure to resign since The Times publicized his sale plans. European confederation UEFA has led the charge against him, supported by AFC and CONCACAF, but these two confederations – despite unity on paper – remain divided. UEFA threatened a boycott of all FIFA competitions and has filed a motion in US courts seeking discovery of the FFE documents.
Next year, FIFA will hold presidential elections at its annual congress in Rabat, Morocco. Infantino came to power in 2015 in the wake of the FIFAGate scandal. However, FIFA’s statutes impose term limits: a FIFA president cannot remain in power for more than twelve years.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at (email protected)
