It's September, and Gianni Infantino was undoubtedly looking forward to putting August behind him. While this summer was supposed to be his peak, it could be the one that precipitates his downfall. At the very least, it will indelibly tarnish his tenure. The FIFA president has been under serious pressure since the surprise announcement of his plan to create a commercial company. He has tried to recover as best he can, but his defense hasn't really convinced anyone, and deep divisions have been laid bare.
Trust has been broken.
The abandonment of the FFE project has not calmed the discontent. On August 10, the AFC, CONCACAF and UEFA shared a joint letter. Football does not belong to any individual or institution "The three confederations remind us." When trust is broken, when an individual places themselves above the collective that entrusted them with authority, this duty of service to the football family is abandoned. (…) A proposal put forward on very short notice, without meaningful consultation, is not the result of mere negligence – it is the result of a strategy to limit any thorough scrutiny. There is still no recognition that attempting to sell shares of the FIFA World Cup was a serious lapse in judgment – not just a procedural error, but a fundamental breach of trust in the very institutions that FIFA is supposed to serve. »
FIFA has promised to present a full report on these events, but the three confederations once again regret that such an examination is not being entrusted to an independent body. They also point out that the crisis meeting convened by Gianni Infantino in early August in Morocco took place without any members of the FIFA Council or any member federations. There is silence where there should be responsibility, distance where there should be openness. These are not the qualities that football deserves from its leaders. "A letter that carries weight since the three confederations represent a total of 137 federations out of FIFA's 211 members.
"Enough is enough"
Gianni Infantino's chief advisor, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned at the end of July. FIFA's number three, Kevin Lamour, was dismissed after openly criticizing the president's approach. In recent days, former players have also taken a stand by publishing a joint letter: Players and fans must be given a real and direct say in the management of football. (…) We have seen the sport we love drift away from its fundamental values under FIFA's current leadership. Change is necessary. The exercise of power has impaired the current leaders' ability to separate their personal interests from the greater good of football. Recent events have made silence impossible. Enough is enough. »
Among the signatories are world champions like Robert Pirès, as well as big names like David James, Sol Campbell, and Lucy Bronze. Another 1998 World Cup winner, Emmanuel Petit, accompanied his post with unambiguous hashtags such as "football is not a business," "protect football," and "against Infantino." The FIFA president was in the Dominican Republic at the end of August to meet with representatives of member associations of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU). It's important to exchange ideas, to talk, and to express your points of view and opinions. A lot has happened in recent weeks, and it's essential to be able to hear and listen to others, but also to express what you feel. “,” he remarked, clearly wanting to show he wasn’t alone in his ivory tower. Last week, he was in Vietnam, where he confirmed plans to open a FIFA Academy. Anger still simmers, but so far, no opponent has emerged ahead of the election scheduled for March, although the name of Canadian Victor Montagliani has been mentioned.
