Fifa president Gianni Infantino has withdrawn his controversial World Cup funding plan
By
Chief football news reporter
- Published5 hours ago
Any hope Gianni Infantino might have had of tiptoeing away from the scene of his World Cup private-investment wreckage having sustained only minor damage to his reputation disappeared on Saturday.
Uefa – the governing body of European football – went straight for the head of world game, saying it had “lost confidence” in his leadership.
It was one of the most ferocious statements ever aimed at the holder of that position.
Words such as “shabby” and “secret schemes” spoke for themselves.
It came after a dramatic five days for football that sparked memories of the European Super League debacle of 2021.
The ESL was a splinter league formed by 12 of Europe’s biggest clubs, including six from the Premier League.
Former England defender Gary Neville echoed the thoughts of many when he referred to it as “pure greed”. It quickly unravelled.
Infantino’s private-investment plan did not have a catchy title, and lasted two days longer than the ESL.
But despite football’s world governing body confirming the proposal was being withdrawn on Saturday, the infamy will linger much longer.
At the top level, football is a vast, money-making enterprise. The sums players and executives earn is beyond the scope of ‘ordinary’ fans.
But have we discovered there is a line that cannot be crossed?
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