Key facts
- Fifpro has called for a review of the Fifa Council's powers.
- Fifa chief Gianni Infantino was accused of a "profound abuse of presidential power" by Fifpro.
- The accusation stems from Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in a World Cup company to private investors.
- Fifpro stated that footballers’ confidence in Fifa had been "fundamentally broken".
- Fifa issued a statement acknowledging that "mistakes" had been made in the plans to create Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE).
- Fifa maintained that Infantino had the "full support" of the members of its management board present at a meeting in Morocco on Wednesday.
The world players' union Fifpro has called for a review of the Fifa Council's powers after it was apparently sidelined by Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in a World Cup company to private investors. Fifpro, which represents more than 70 player unions globally, stated that footballers’ confidence in Fifa had been "fundamentally broken" by the conduct of the global governing body’s president.
In response, Fifa issued a statement acknowledging that "mistakes" had been made in the plans to create Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE). However, the organisation maintained that Mr Infantino had the "full support" of the members of its management board present at a meeting in Morocco on Wednesday.
Fifpro noted the tone of that statement with “deep concern” in a communication issued on Thursday, adding: “The withdrawal of FFE was inevitable. But withdrawing the proposal does not erase what it revealed. A plan capable of permanently altering the ownership and governance of the Fifa World Cup, and commercialising the competitions built by generations of players, was conceived in secrecy, negotiated behind closed doors and brought to the brink of agreement before the Fifa Council, the member associations, players and football’s recognised stakeholders even knew it existed.
"That is not merely a governance failure. It is a profound abuse of presidential power. The withdrawal of FFE prevented an irreversible decision. It did not restore the confidence that made such a proposal possible in the first place. That confidence has now been fundamentally broken.