Embattled FIFA president Gianni Infantino has received the "full support" of the FIFA secretary general and members of the FIFA management board, the organization announced in a statement that also appeared to address critics.
The statement was released following a meeting in Morocco on Wednesday and comes in the wake of significant backlash to Infantino's proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan, which involved selling stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors. The plan faced widespread opposition, with UEFA and its 55 member nations reportedly threatening a World Cup boycott.
FIFA stated that the meeting in Morocco aimed to "strengthen FIFA’s governance, help restore confidence in the organization and enable us to prepare for the major events and challenges ahead in a united and transparent manner." Infantino echoed this sentiment on social media, asserting that attendees had "fully upheld support" for him and FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström.
Both FIFA's official statement and Infantino's personal posts conveyed a firm stance against criticism. "We also agreed that FIFA will not tolerate any attacks on its integrity and will take all necessary measures to defend its reputation," Infantino wrote on Instagram, with the organization's statement using similar language.
The FFE proposal has generated considerable pressure on Infantino from various global entities. UEFA has publicly called for Infantino's resignation, and the Football Association of Wales has withdrawn its support for his reelection. England is also expected to follow suit.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney publicly expressed a vote of no confidence in Infantino, calling the abandoned plan "fatal" and stating, "Certainly I don’t have confidence in Mr. Infantino." British Prime Minister Andy Burnham described Infantino as the "wrong man to lead" global soccer.
Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, president of the Jordanian Football Association, accused Infantino and FIFA of attempting to "blackmail" the JFA into supporting Infantino's reelection bid.
While FIFA's statement did not directly address these specific criticisms, it acknowledged shortcomings in the FFE proposal. "The meeting also addressed the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, where mistakes made were acknowledged," the statement read. "It was agreed that it was not the intention for the FIFA council and FIFA member associations to feel excluded from the process and that the process should have been handled differently. It was further acknowledged that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media."
An apology was issued in a separate letter to the FIFA council and member associations for these errors, with a commitment to prevent their recurrence. A review will be conducted, and its findings will be presented to the FIFA council at its next meeting.