It may be a new week, but it must feel like Groundhog Day for FIFA President Gianni Infantino as he wakes up to yet another round of criticism.
The latest development comes from an open letter signed by the presidents and general secretaries of European soccer governing body UEFA, North & Central American and Caribbean governing body CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), who have called out FIFA and its leadership for threatening the integrity of the game regarding its handling of the now-scrapped Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal.
“Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding – or demanding – power to be held. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it,” the letter read.
“When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned.”
It follows another damaging weekend for world soccer’s governing body, which has been scrambling to get some semblance of control over a situation that seems to be growing new arms and legs every day.
On Saturday, FIFA released a statement that criticized recent reporting and what it called a “concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine FIFA and its President.”
That came after the governing body acknowledged that mistakes had been made and apologized for the manner in which the controversial proposal – to sell off a portion of its commercial and operational rights of the World Cup and other competitions to private investors – was sprung on its members.
But, despite that, Infantino is still clinging to power as he searches for friends amid an increasingly divided soccer landscape.
Infantino does have some support. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has backed the president in recent days, alongside the Argentine and Mexican soccer associations.
But Mexico’s stance demonstrates how polarized this issue has made soccer, with it breaking away from the stance held by CONCACAF – the federation in which it sits.
Calls for independent review
Monday’s open letter is just the latest shot fired at the beleaguered governing body.
UEFA – which is still threatening to boycott future FIFA tournaments, including the upcoming Under-20 Women’s World Cup in September – CONCACAF and the AFC also used the latter to call for an independent review into how the FFE proposal was handled.
“There is silence where there should be accountability, distance where there should be openness,” the letter added.
“These are not the qualities football deserves in its leadership. That is why we have taken this stance: not lightly and not alone, but together, and out of duty to the game we serve.”
“Football’s strength has always been its unity. We call for that unity to be honoured now, for leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it.”
For now, though, Infantino and FIFA are still trying to fight against the tide.
