RABAT - FIFA President Gianni Infantino has apologised for mistakes made during the handling of a controversial proposal to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors but will remain in office after receiving the backing of the organisation's senior leadership.
The apology followed an executive meeting in Rabat, Morocco, convened by Mr. Infantino amid growing criticism over the now-abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal.
According to the BBC, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom, who had earlier criticised the handling of the proposal in an internal memo, joined members of the management board in reaffirming their full support for Mr. Infantino after the meeting.
Mr. Infantino and Mr. Grafstrom also issued a joint letter to FIFA vice-presidents, council members and the organisation's 211 member associations, apologising for the errors made during the process and committing to ensuring similar mistakes are not repeated.
The proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise would have allowed private investment in FIFA competitions, including the men's and women's FIFA World Cups. Reports indicated that member associations were offered financial incentives to support the plan before it was ultimately withdrawn.
In a statement issued after Wednesday's meeting, FIFA acknowledged that mistakes had been made in the way the proposal was handled, including the failure to adequately involve the FIFA Council and member associations before details emerged publicly.
However, the governing body said it would not tolerate attacks on its integrity, governance or decision-making processes and would take appropriate measures to protect its reputation.
Meanwhile, FIFA also rejected reports published by The Times alleging that Mr. Infantino had promised Morocco the right to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup final in exchange for support of the investment proposal.
The organisation described the claims as false and misleading, stating that a decision on the venue for the 2030 World Cup final, which will be jointly hosted by Morocco, Spain and Portugal, will be made at a later date.
Source: BBC