Gianni Infantino and FIFA accused of breaking trust 'through deception'
UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation have issued a joint open letter criticizing FIFA and its president.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0 / Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino have been accused of breaking trust "through deception" in a strongly worded open letter issued by UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation. The document, signed by the presidents and general secretaries of these bodies, highlights a growing rift within the global governing body.
The controversy centers on the proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), which aimed to create a new company to manage commercial and ticketing rights for all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. Crucially, the plan involved selling 21% of this company to a private investment firm. Following widespread backlash, particularly from UEFA—which had threatened to boycott FIFA events—the proposal was aborted.
The confederations argue that the core issue is the integrity of the sport and its leadership. The letter states: "When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned."
In response to these allegations, FIFA previously released a statement condemning what it described as a "concerted and ongoing effort" to undermine the organization and its president. The confederations are now calling for a review to be conducted by a fully independent third party, challenging FIFA's commitment to present its own report to the FIFA Council in October.