Infantino Signs a Letter of Full Support for Infantino, but Blackmail and Corruption Accusations Piling Up
Unpaid clubs and host cities, accusations of blackmail, pre-written endorsement statements, football legends and world leaders telling him to get stuffed left Infantino forced to apologize.
On Wednesday 5 August, Gianni Infantino convened a meeting at FIFA's Africa office in Salé, across the Bou Regreg river from Rabat, Morocco. In the room were the FIFA president, secretary general Mattias Grafström and members of the FIFA Management Board, the senior administrators who run the organisation day to day. Absent was anyone from the FIFA Council, football's elected governing board, or any representative of the 211 member associations that elect the president.
The talks ran some seven hours. No press was admitted and no questions were taken.
A letter was published to inform the hoi polloi of the footballing world that FIFA's secretary general and Management Board had heard Infantino apologise and had accepted that FIFA Forward Enterprised (FFE) was mishandled rather than misconceived. Infantino accepted that "mistakes were made in the process” and that it "should have been handled differently". The Management Board had therefore concluded, with "full support", that Infantino could stay in office.
And who signed this letter of full support for Gianni Infantino?
Gianni Infantino himself.
And Secretary-General Mattias Grafström, whom the letter also states has Infantino’s full support in return.
If only the rest of the footballing world could be so tidily aligned. In the days before and after Salé, Infantino faced:
reports that he offered Morocco the 2030 World Cup final in exchange for its backing, which FIFA has vehemently denied
a former FIFA vice-president accusing the organisation of blackmail
American host cities waiting for FIFA payments they say were promised
European clubs continuing to demand money due from the Club World Cup
the Jordanian football federation also demanding owed money
Portugal legend Luís Figo calling for his head
heads of government publicly abandoning him
The Sports and Crime Briefing dives into Gianni Infantino’s week from hell.
