Defiant Infantino rejects resignation calls over World Cup shares plan

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has apologised for mistakes in the handling of his aborted plan to sell stakes in the World Cup and other competitions to private investors, but he has rejected suggestions that he should resign and insists he retains broad support.

The apology came at a meeting of FIFA's council in Zurich, the first since the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal became public. Infantino declined interview requests from the media at the meeting. After a three-hour session he issued a video statement and took no questions. He said he apologised for the mistakes made in the communication and consultation process around the project, which he said had led to many consequences.

Council critics remain unsatisfied

Some council members were not satisfied. FA chair Debbie Hewitt had written to Infantino demanding that he release documents about the World Cup sell-off plan. She said she had received no answers to her questions and that this was her biggest disappointment. She said she had repeatedly asked for the papers to be shared and had withdrawn her letter of support, adding that nothing at the meeting had changed her view that this position should change. Infantino was told he was not fit to lead unless he released all the documents relating to the plans.

UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin, a principal critic, left Zurich without a credible challenger having emerged. He said it was important from his personal view to have an alternative, someone who puts football first and unites the world.

Backlash and abandoned plan

The row began in July when news leaked about FIFA Forward Enterprise, Infantino's plan to sell stakes in FIFA competitions. A backlash grew quickly. UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation signed letters accusing Infantino of deception, and UEFA threatened to boycott future tournaments. By the start of August the project had been abandoned.

At the same Zurich meeting, a proposal by Infantino to distribute more than £2.5 billion from FIFA's financial reserves for football development was approved. Despite the pressure, Infantino is set to stand for a fourth term unopposed in next year's election. Candidates have until mid-November to declare if they want to run.

Defiant interview

In a later rare interview in Baku, where the under-15 World Cup is taking place, Infantino laughed off any suggestion that he had considered resigning. Asked whether he was fit to be FIFA president, he said he had been elected by 211 member associations from around the world. He said FIFA could contain different views but that, if it was serious about democracy and about football belonging to everyone, it had to respect the views of the vast majority.

Infantino pointed to recent backing. He said the Asian Football Confederation had fully endorsed him after his trip to Tokyo, and that African CAF countries had endorsed him in Cape Verde. He said he respected all opinions and that FIFA's member associations would decide who they wanted as president and how they wanted FIFA run. Asked when he would give the FIFA Council the documents it has requested, he said work was ongoing and that all questions would be answered as far as the process allowed.

The pressure on his position has eased since August, when the rebellion against him was at its height. Support in Africa and Asia has helped him, and no unifying challenger has emerged. Criticism remains strong in Europe, but his re-election in March again appears likely.