Fifa President in Morocco and Colombia
Gianni Infantino, the president of Fifa, has been actively engaged in discussions regarding his future, following crisis talks held in Rabat, Morocco. He spent a week in Morocco, attending Throne Day celebrations marking the 27th anniversary of King Mohammed VI’s accession. Following his engagements in Morocco, Infantino is scheduled to travel to Colombia to attend the inauguration of the country’s new president in Cali.
On Wednesday, Infantino was present at a Women’s African Cup of Nations match at the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat. He was seen alongside Mattias Grafström, Fifa‘s secretary general. Their joint appearance occurred shortly after an internal email from Grafström to Fifa staff emerged, in which he referred to the Fifa Forward Enterprise as a “sad and reproachable series of events.”
Infantino’s travels to Africa and South America come in the wake of controversy surrounding Fifa‘s proposals to sell off 21% of the World Cup. These confederations are considered significant supporters of Infantino. Neither the Confederation of African Football (Caf) nor Conmebol have joined the Uefa-led opposition against the Fifa Forward Enterprise sell-off, and they continue to show their support.
Executive Meeting and Internal Criticism
Infantino convened a meeting with senior leaders of Fifa in Morocco on Wednesday. This meeting followed a period of criticism regarding his plan to sell off Fifa‘s commercial and event operations, a plan which has since been abandoned. Among those who expressed opposition to the Fifa Forward Enterprise were Arsene Wenger, Fifa‘s chief of global football development, Mattias Grafström, and Prince Ali, president of the Jordanian Football Association.
The executive meeting in Rabat was called by Infantino in an effort to address the ongoing controversy. Attendees at the meeting reportedly included Grafström and other members of the Fifa management board, such as 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.
Arsene Wenger issued a statement through Fifa, asserting that the decision to withdraw the project was “absolutely necessary and beyond question.” He also stated that he was not involved in the strategic plan and became aware of it through media reports. Wenger emphasized his belief in an independent Fifa that operates with commitment, transparency, and integrity.
Grafström, in his internal memo to staff, described the previous week as “difficult to comprehend and accept.” He urged staff to remain focused on serving football and the 211 member associations, in compliance with Fifa statutes and regulations. He also assured staff that they would be defended and safeguarded from the political context.
Re-election Efforts and Allegations
Infantino is reportedly hoping that Morocco will play a strategic role in gathering support for him in the Middle East, which is anticipated to be a key area in the vote for his re-election in March. Unlike Caf and Conmebol, the Asian Football Confederation does not vote as a unified bloc. This means Infantino may need to lobby individual countries for support, particularly if Uefa and the North American confederation Concacaf succeed in finding a candidate to challenge him in the presidential election, which is also set to take place in Rabat.
Few details have been released about Wednesday’s meeting, which included Mattias Grafström and chief legal officer Emilio García Silvero, other than Infantino’s stated intention to continue in his role. A report suggested that Infantino offered Morocco a guarantee to host the 2030 World Cup final, which they will co-host with Spain and Portugal, in exchange for their assistance in lobbying other countries. However, Fifa has denied this claim, stating that it is “false and misleading to claim the Fifa president has made any promise in relation to hosting the Fifa World 2030 final,” and that a decision will be made by Fifa at a later date.
Prince Ali has accused Fifa of creating a situation that he described as “blackmail” concerning unpaid prize money. He alleged that prize money from the Fifa Arab Cup had not been paid and that Fifa attempted to use this to gain support for Infantino. Prince Ali has previously run for the Fifa presidency twice, in 2015 and 2016. He also claimed in a social media post that Jordan supporters with tickets were denied visas to enter the United States for their debut World Cup appearance this summer.
Source: theguardian.com