FIFA president Gianni Infantino apologised to the FIFA Council over his proposed World Cup commercial-rights deal but faced renewed criticism from opponents who said he had failed to answer questions about the plan and other controversies.
Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt, a member of the FIFA Council, said UEFA’s opposition to Infantino remained unchanged after the FIFA president’s proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup and other tournaments to private investors collapsed.
Hewitt said Infantino also failed to address questions about FIFA’s handling of Folarin Balogun’s suspension during the World Cup and the governing body’s Peace Prize.
Following a three-and-a-half-hour Council meeting in Zurich on Thursday, Infantino asked members to submit their questions in writing, Hewitt said. It was the Council’s first official gathering since details of the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan emerged in July.
“The man has to answer those questions, and if he doesn’t answer those questions, no, he’s not fit to be FIFA president,” Hewitt told reporters, describing the sentiment expressed during the meeting.
Hewitt said members wanted access to documents relating to the FFE proposal and called for transparency over the plan. She added that Infantino had promised to provide the requested information after receiving the questions in writing.
Infantino came under pressure to resign following the collapse of the proposed commercial-rights deal. UEFA led calls for him to step down, with opposition also emerging from the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf, which represents North and Central America and the Caribbean.
Hewitt had written to Infantino last month calling for an independent review of the proposed World Cup investment deal and FIFA’s handling of the Balogun case. The FA had withdrawn its support for Infantino amid concerns over his leadership.
The controversy surrounding Balogun intensified after US President Donald Trump acknowledged contacting Infantino to request a review of the red card shown to the forward against Bosnia and Herzegovina. FIFA subsequently paused the suspension.
Hewitt said Infantino apologised to the Council for failing to share the FFE plan with its members before details emerged publicly following the World Cup final. She believed he regretted the decision but said the meeting had not changed her position on his leadership.
Although Infantino expressed regret and promised to provide the requested documents, Hewitt said members had received no substantive answers to their questions.
Infantino is planning to seek re-election in March, despite the growing criticism over his leadership and the abandoned investment proposal.