‘I learned about the project through the press’ – Arsène Wenger distances himself from Gianni Infantino | OneFootball

Arsène Wenger has publicly distanced himself from FIFA’s abandoned plan to open part of its commercial operations to private investors, revealing that he only discovered the proposal through media reports, according to RMC Sport.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has faced growing opposition since the proposed creation of a new commercial company, which would have allowed private investors to acquire a stake in the governing body’s activities.

Although Infantino announced over the weekend that the project had been definitively abandoned, criticism has continued from both UEFA and senior figures within FIFA.

“The decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and indisputable, because I firmly believe in an independent FIFA that serves our sport with commitment, transparency and integrity,” Wenger said in a statement relayed by RMC Sport.

“I was not involved in this project, which I learned about through the press.”

The former Arsenal manager currently serves as FIFA’s chief of global football development and is also a technical adviser to the International Football Association Board.

Wenger is the latest influential FIFA figure to distance himself from the proposal. Carlos Cordeiro resigned from his position as a senior adviser to Infantino on Friday, stating that he had no involvement in the plans and opposed them “unequivocally”.

FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström also addressed the organisation’s employees on Tuesday, describing the situation as a series of “regrettable and condemnable events” which had ended with the definitive withdrawal of the project.

Infantino was reportedly not mentioned by name in Grafström’s message.

FIFA director general Kévin Lamour had already described the proposal as “the project of one person”, calling on football’s senior political figures to consider the future direction of the governing body.GFFN | George Boxall