🚨 FIFA: Gianni Infantino drops controversial commercial plan | OneFootball

A dramatic twist at the top of world football.

Faced with fierce opposition and the risk of an irreparable split, Gianni Infantino has officially thrown in the towel.

In a statement released this Saturday, the FIFA president announced the definitive abandonment of his plan to create a commercial company to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.

A divide too deep within world football

Called "FIFA Forward Enterprise," the project was supposed, according to its supporters, to generate new financial resources to support the most modest federations.

But the initiative immediately sparked an outcry within the governing bodies, creating serious tensions with several major confederations: UEFA, CONCACAF, and the AFC.

To top it all off, pressure intensified on Friday with the resignation of Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino’s chief adviser, who stepped down to firmly signal his disagreement.

Amid the turmoil, the Swiss executive chose to cut his losses, acknowledging the destructive impact of the measure on the institution’s unity:

"The FIFA Forward Enterprise project was intended to provide a foundation to further strengthen our member associations [...]. Having listened carefully to all opinions, it became clear that the project created divisions of such a nature that, regardless of the level of support, they no longer serve the objective originally set. Our goal has always been - and will always be - to unite and improve. Consequently, this proposal will not be implemented."

What comes after the storm?

Keen to repair the damage after this political setback, Gianni Infantino now wants to ease tensions and reopen dialogue with all stakeholders in world football.

"Going forward, my intention is to bring together all interested parties in the days and weeks ahead in the spirit of a shared interest in our sport, and with the aim of continuing to develop football everywhere, especially in the countries that need our support the most," he concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.

📸 Dan Mullan - 2018 Getty Images