UEFA have doubled down on its plans to boycott the World Cup after issuing a ruthless statement aimed at Gianni Infantino.
The FIFA President “sincerely apologised for errors” made with the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), but Europe’s governing body said Infantino’s words “change nothing”.
UEFA announced last week it would boycott FIFA tournaments if it went ahead with its sell-off plan, and has now said its position has not changed, as “conditions have not been met” despite the proposals being scrapped.
“UEFA’s associations were very clear about the conditions attached to the non-participation in FIFA competitions,” a spokesman told Sky News.
“First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn, and secondly, assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again.
“These conditions have not been met. In addition, UEFA made it abundantly clear in its statement on Saturday that it has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino’s presidency. That position holds.
“Yesterday’s announcement that some people employed by the FIFA president (and whose careers depend on his favour) agree with him changes nothing.”
The boycott throws into question the upcoming U20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, which includes England.
UEFA have doubled down on its plans to boycott FIFA competitions
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FIFA’s letter from yesterday to its council, which was signed by Infantino and secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, said: “For the avoidance of doubt, the FIFA Secretary General and the Management Board in attendance reaffirm their full support for the FIFA president.”
UEFA have been the most vocal in criticising FIFA’s plans, with the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, which oversees North America, also voicing opposition.
FIFA held an emergency meeting in Morocco yesterday, with the letter acknowledging the mistakes made.
It read: “We sincerely apologise for these errors and commit to them not happening again.
Infantino is under immense pressure in his role as FIFA President | PA
“With this in mind, we will conduct a necessary review, and a report will be presented to the FIFA Council at its next scheduled meeting. Furthermore, as already known, the proposal, which would have been subject to the approval of the FIFA Member Associations and the FIFA Council, is now off the table.”
FIFA took aim at those questions on its “name and reputation”, saying it will “no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process and will take all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation”.
The letter continued: “There are always lessons to be learned, and we will continue to improve our processes in light of this experience.
“In this instance, however, it is important to stress that, although mistakes were made, everything that was done, was done in full compliance with the FIFA regulatory framework.
Despite the immense pressure, Infantino has vowed to stay on
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“We will actively examine together with you how we can further support the development of the game, through the FIFA Forward programme, for the benefit of FIFA’s 211 Member Associations, the Confederations and Regional Associations.
“We remain at your full disposal in answering any questions you may have in this regard and look forward to seeing you in person again soon.”
The governing body said that it is “fully confident” that the outcomes of the meeting in Morocco will “strengthen FIFA’s governance, help restore confidence in the organisation and enable us to prepare for the major events and challenges ahead”.
The letter recognised the errors of the FFE, adding: “It was certainly not the intention for the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations to feel excluded from the process and it should have been handled differently.”
