FIFA Chief Infantino Apologizes Over Rights Deal Amid Calls for Resignation
FIFA President Gianni Infantino apologized to the council for handling World Cup commercial rights talks with private investors, but critics pressed for his resignation.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino issued an apology on Thursday to members of the organization's council regarding his handling of the controversial commercial rights sale for the World Cup to private investors. However, the apology failed to placate his critics, with several figures continuing to demand his resignation following a tense meeting in Zurich.
Tense Meeting in Zurich
During the closed-door session, which lasted approximately three and a half hours, Infantino faced harsh criticism from senior European football officials demanding transparency and documents related to the secretive plan he attempted to push through last summer. Infantino did not provide the requested papers, instead instructing his critics to submit their questions in writing.
"This man has to answer these questions. If he cannot answer them, he is not fit to be FIFA president," said Debbie Hewitt, chairwoman of the English FA and FIFA vice-president. "One of the most disappointing things is that we did not get answers to any of the things we specifically asked for, such as the documents relating to the plan."
The Controversial Deal
At the center of the scandal is a plan uncovered in July, under which Infantino sought to transfer a portion of FIFA tournament commercial rights to a new entity named FIFA Forward Enterprise. Private investors, led by Joshua Kushner—brother of Jared Kushner and brother-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump—were slated to hold at least 20 percent of the shares. The planned deal was valued at roughly $4.2 billion, though UEFA officials suspect the rights were heavily undervalued.
UEFA has already approached three U.S. courts seeking documents related to the transaction to explore potential legal proceedings against Infantino. Meanwhile, council members also questioned Infantino regarding his salary, the intervention of Donald Trump in overturning a player suspension, and the awarding of FIFA's peace prize to the American president.
