FIFA President Gianni Infantino apologized for mistakes made regarding the controversial investment plan. However, the organization's leadership supported his staying in his position.
At a meeting held in Rabat, the capital of Morocco, the FIFA chief acknowledged shortcomings in the plan developed to attract private investment to competitions.
It became known that through the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project, it was planned to attract private investors to major football competitions such as the Men's and Women's World Cups. This initiative was criticized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), which assessed it as a "secret and unclear deal."
Following the meeting, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström and the organization's executive board expressed their full support for Gianni Infantino.
Additionally, in an appeal addressed to the 211 national associations that are members of FIFA, Infantino and Grafström apologized "sincerely" for the situation that arose. They emphasized that such shortcomings would not be allowed in the future.
In a FIFA statement, it was acknowledged that mistakes were made during the preparation and discussion of the investment plan. The organization noted that some member associations may have felt left out of the process.
At the same time, FIFA said it would take necessary measures against baseless accusations that could damage its reputation.
Furthermore, the organization denied reports that Gianni Infantino had promised Morocco the right to host the 2030 World Cup final.
FIFA called these claims "false and misleading" and said the host of the 2030 World Cup final match would be announced later in accordance with the established procedure.
Asolat Gulomnazarova
