Uefa has declared its conditions remain unmet following Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s apology at an executive meeting in Morocco on Wednesday, maintaining its position that it has lost confidence in his presidency.
The English FA sent a letter withdrawing its support for Infantino in reaction to plans to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors. Infantino had offered all associations $40m (£30m) to back a proposal for private investment in Fifa’s tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, through its FFE subsidiary.
Fifa acknowledged “mistakes” surrounding the FFE proposal during Wednesday’s meeting, stating it was “not the intention” for the Fifa Council and member associations to “feel excluded from the process” and that it “should have been handled differently”. Infantino summoned members of the Fifa management board to discuss the events of the past week.
Uefa responded sharply, saying two conditions had not been satisfied: the withdrawal of proposals to sell off major competitions, and assurances that “such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again”. The European governing body had previously labelled the FFE proposal a “shabby, back room, opaque deal”.
Uefa also dismissed Wednesday’s show of support for Infantino, stating that agreement from “people employed by the Fifa president — and whose careers depend on his favour — changes nothing”. After the meeting concluded, Infantino and Grafstrom were pictured together smiling at a Women’s Africa Cup of Nations match between Malawi and Zambia.
Image credit: BBC Sport / BBC Sport
