Infantino to meet Fifa executives in Rabat amid fallout over scrapped commercial plan
Gianni Infantino will meet senior executives of world football's governing body in Rabat on Wednesday as criticism intensifies over his now-scrapped plan to sell Fifa's commercial and event operations. The meeting follows an internal uproar and a series of public statements from senior figures inside and outside Fifa.
Infantino, who has been Fifa president since 2016, summoned members of the Fifa management board to Morocco after secretary general Mattias Grafstrom circulated a highly critical internal memo to staff. Arsene Wenger told staff he was "not involved" in Infantino's Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal and said aborting it was "absolutely necessary and beyond question". Prince Ali, president of the Jordanian Football Association, accused Fifa of creating a situation which "amounts to blackmail" over unpaid prize money and support for Infantino's re-election; those claims have not been verified by the BBC and Fifa made no comment when approached.
BBC Sport understands the meeting will take place at Fifa's Africa office in Rabat and will include Grafstrom and members of the Fifa management board. Among those expected to attend are finance chief Thomas Peyer, legal chief Emilio Garcia Silvero, chief of staff Daniel O'Toole, chief of member associations Elkhan Mammadov and media relations director Bryan Swanson. The precise intention of the gathering is unclear, but it is expected Infantino will attempt to build bridges in an effort to remain as president.
Grafstrom described the recent events in his letter to staff as "a sad and reproachable series of events" which were "difficult to comprehend and accept". On Friday, Kevin Lamour, Fifa's chief operating officer, said the private investment plan was "the project of one person" and added Fifa's own administration was "deceived". Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino's senior adviser on global strategy and governance, resigned on Friday, calling the proposal "a bad deal for football" that would "mortgage football's future".
In his resignation, Cordeiro raised a string of questions he said remained unanswered, writing: "Most troubling of all," Mr Cordeiro said, "is the absence of answers to fundamental questions. "Why this deal? 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? "These questions remain largely unanswered, and yet member associations are being asked to make a decision of enormous consequence in barely 50 days or risk being left behind. "That is not a responsible way to determine the future of the world's game. "This proposal has become a defining question for Fifa's future." Member associations had been given a deadline of 19 September to approve the plan or miss out on the extra funding that came as part of the deal.
Infantino has so far shown no indication he is considering relinquishing his position and has been trying to rally his core supporter base; Egypt, Morocco, Niger, Mauritania and DR Congo issued statements on Tuesday in support of him. The article notes possible reform options that could be offered, including putting additional checks and balances in place, shelving plans for a 64-team World Cup or opening up Fifa's cash reserves, though it is unclear which, if any, measures will be proposed at the meeting.
There are institutional routes that opponents could pursue: the Fifa Council could call an emergency meeting if 19 of its 37 members request one, though BBC Sport understands there are doubts that 19 votes could be achieved. An extraordinary congress of the 211 member associations would be triggered if one-fifth, or 43 associations, make such a request in writing; Uefa, which has 55 nations, can trigger that process. The extraordinary congress would take a minimum of two months from the point it is triggered, but more likely three months, and would require 106 votes to pass a vote of no confidence. The deadline to announce a candidacy for the presidency is 18 November; Concacaf president Victor Montagliani is seen as the most likely unity candidate to stand against Infantino. Infantino stood unopposed when he was re-elected in 2019 and 2023; the article recalls that "even at the height of the Fifa scandal in 2015, Sepp Blatter was re-elected as president eight days before he eventually resigned."
Inside Fifa, the expectation is that Infantino has called the meeting in Rabat to try to clear the air, have a show of unity and achieve alignment with his senior staff. Morocco, where he has been based over the past week, has publicly backed him and is described in the article as hosting the next World Cup; Infantino still hopes to be re-elected for a fourth term at next year's Congress. If Infantino remains in position after Wednesday's meeting, the report concludes the story could have a long way to run.
