Gianni Infantino, the president of world football’s governing body FIFA, is facing controversy after North and Central American football ruling federation CONCACAF called for a “comprehensive reckoning” of his presidency in a statement on Sunday.
Infantino landed in hot water following the announcement of a plan to create a commercial subsidiary to manage its flagship tournaments, opening the door for private investors to acquire minority stakes.
The proposal was met with nearly universal rejection, with European football ruling body UEFA voting to reject the plan and agreeing to boycott the World Cup if it’s approved. The decision was later supported by CONCACAF and the AFC, Asian football’s ruling federation.
The controversial plan was quickly scrapped, but it might’ve done irreversible damage to Infantino’s reputation.
On Sunday, the CONCACAF released a statement saying “unity had prevailed,” but also questioning the decision-making behind the proposal, calling it “a symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first.”
