In the wake of the failed initiative to attract private investment for the organization of the World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino is scrambling to salvage his position and reputation. On Wednesday, Infantino convened an urgent meeting of FIFA’s leadership in Rabat, Morocco, following statements made by Arsène Wenger that have significantly intensified scrutiny on his presidency, as reported by Press Association.
Wenger, the former Arsenal manager and now FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development, issued a statement clarifying that he had not been involved in the now-abandoned project aimed at securing private investments for the World Cup organizing body. He emphasized that the decision to withdraw from this initiative was "absolutely necessary and indisputable," further highlighting the growing discontent within FIFA regarding Infantino's leadership.
The emergency meeting is set to include key figures such as FIFA's Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom, along with other critical members of the executive committee, including Chief of Staff Daniel O’Toole, Legal Director Emilio Garcia Silvero, Member Associations Chief Elkhan Mammadov, Human Resources Director Kimberly Morris, Media Director Bryan Swanson, and Communications Director David Farrelly. Grafstrom, being the second-highest official in the organization after Infantino, has reportedly reached out to FIFA staff to discuss the "series of sad and reprehensible events" that transpired last week, which culminated in the definitive abandonment of the investment project.
As reported by lesoir.be.
