Leadership Under Scrutiny

UEFA was the first major governing body to react to Infantino’s decision to drop the investment plans, stating the Swiss leader had failed to deliver on his promises. ‘The current Fifa leadership has not only lost Uefa’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family,’ the statement read. The organization highlighted Infantino’s 2016 election speech where he pledged transparency and that ‘the money of Fifa is your money.’

Concacaf later joined the criticism, stating ‘accountability cannot be optional.’ It said, ‘When people entrusted with protecting the game conclude they can no longer do so from within, the football family is entitled to ask how such a proposal was allowed to proceed and who bears responsibility for it.’

Failed Promises and Financial Concerns

UEFA emphasized that Infantino has failed on both counts of transparency and the use of funds. ‘The shabby, back room, opaque deal he hatched and tried to force through was anything but transparent,’ according to the statement. With Fifa’s reserves at over 5 billion US dollars, UEFA added that Infantino has not used the money for the benefit of the game.

UEFA also called for a thorough review and said, ‘We cannot keep going on like this with secret schemes on fast track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game. We must identify those responsible and hold them to account.’

Proposed Solutions and Next Steps

No option should be off the table,’ the organization stated. UEFA pledged to work with its associations and other confederations to reflect on how the proposal occurred and develop a plan to prevent future issues. ‘That review should be thorough and fundamental. Also, UEFA aims to use the existing Fifa Forward programme to better distribute resources.

UEFA emphasized the need to use some of the ‘idle’ money in Fifa’s bank account to support grassroots football in all 211 countries. ‘We don’t need to sell off the family silver to pay for it,’ the statement said. The organization concluded that ‘this is a victory for the whole game. But it must not be the end of the story.’