FIFA chief of global football development Arsène Wenger said Gianni Infantino’s decision to withdraw from a plan to sell stakes in the World Cup company to private investors was “absolutely necessary and beyond question.”
Former Arsenal manager Wenger issued a statement Tuesday morning, a week on from the first reports emerging about Infantino’s plan to create FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) and sell a 20% stake in it to private equity.
The plan was rejected by three continental confederations, with UEFA going further and threatening to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions if it was not dropped.
Wenger did not indicate any intention to follow Infantino’s senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro in quitting the organization, but made clear he was opposed to the FFE plan, saying he believed in FIFA serving the game with “commitment, transparency, and integrity.”
“The recent events at FIFA deserve some clarity from my side,” Wenger said in a statement.
“At FIFA, I am the chief of global football development. Together with my team, I oversee the data analysis of the game, the FIFA online training centre, the development of youth education through 60 academies across 60 countries where they are most needed, and youth competitions around the world.
“In addition, I am a technical adviser to IFAB.
“I was not involved in this strategic plan and first became aware of the project through media reports.
“The decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond question, because I firmly believe in an independent FIFA that serves our game with commitment, transparency, and integrity.”
Wenger’s statement comes with a number of European associations withdrawing their support for Infantino, with the Football Association understood to be writing to FIFA to confirm the change in its position on Monday. The Football Association of Wales (FAW) issued a statement confirming it had withdrawn its support.
– Sources: UEFA threatens Infantino with legal action over World Cup sell-off plan
– Why Infantino’s plans to sell off World Cup made no sense
– Could Infantino lose FIFA presidency after World Cup plans were rejected?
That followed UEFA issuing a statement Saturday welcoming the withdrawal of the FFE plan but stating it had “lost confidence” in Infantino.
Clubs within the European Football Clubs (EFC) group are understood to have contacted FIFA themselves concerned about the FFE plan, given it was intended to cover Club World Cups and would have materially affected plans agreed between the EFC and FIFA to create a joint venture on Club World Cup competition rights.
FIFA has no agreement in place with EFC for the staging of the 2029 Club World Cup.
Wenger’s statement was certainly less explosive than the one issued last Friday by FIFA’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour, who said in a statement to The Associated Press that staff at the global governing body had been “deceived” by Infantino.
Information from ESPN’s Mark Ogden and the Press Association contributed to this report.
