When Sepp Blatter was kicked out of Fifa and global football, there was genuine hope that incoming president Gianni Infantino would restore the beautiful game’s reputation as the sport of peace, unity and friendship.Instead, Infantino has turned out to be a monumental disappointment.On Friday, he withdrew his distasteful plan to invite “private investors” into world football. In terms of what is known of the plan hatched in secrecy, a new company would be formed in which investors would take a noncontrolling stake worth $20bn.Until the plan was hastily backtracked, Fifa’s affiliates were given 52 days to consider and decide on it. Drawn up by investment bank JPMorgan Chase, the proposal was immediately shot down by major continental federations, notably Uefa, which represents European football associations.Infantino’s apologists, such as CAF, which represents African football, organised a special meeting to consider his commercial fantasy.There is nothing explicitly wrong with an initiative to generate more money from the game. But there is a right and wrong way of doing so. Infantino’s was certainly the latter.(Brandan Reynolds) For one, JPMorgan may know so much about high finance, but it knows little about football or its funding.It’s also hard to think how Infantino’s scheme wouldn’t have undermined revenue streams of Fifa’s affiliates — its key constituencies. Crowding the already packed football calendar would be detrimental to players’ wellbeing.Through his current term, Infantino has shown utter contempt for his affiliates and governance of the game.Not only did he keep them away from his scheme’s design while they were busy with the 2026 edition of the World Cup, it has emerged that he had kept his executive committee in the dark too.Kevin Lamour, Fifa’s COO, asked for the plan to be binned, while another senior official, Carlos Cordeiro, an Infantino adviser, quit the world football body and claimed he wasn’t part of the scheme.Not only did he keep them away from his scheme’s design while they were busy with the 2026 edition of the World Cup, it has emerged that he had kept his executive committee in the dark too.The other concern about the plan was the sketchy details about governance. It wasn’t clear, for example, what role Infantino would play in the new company. This has fuelled speculation about it being a lifeboat.That Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, is touted as a lead investor in this Fifa commercial venture has added salt to the wound.Coming weeks after Infantino’s cosy proximity to Trump, this disclosure helped mobilise affiliates against him. During the tournament, Fifa overturned a red card ban against an US striker after a call from Trump to Infantino about the issue.Infantino also bent over backwards to accommodate Trump’s whims, such as allowing a Super Bowl-style half-time break and Trump inserting himself in photo-ops with the winning team, to the chagrin of Fifa members.Judging by the reaction of major affiliates, it seems Infantino might have overplayed his hand. Key affiliates not only refused to consider his scheme, they are also expressing lack of confidence in his leadership.Fifa is due to elect fresh leadership in 2027. This would be a neater way of ousting Infantino without major disruptions.However, 2027 seems too far away for a man who is proving a wrecking ball. Nobody knows what other sinister plan he is cooking up. A special members’ meeting to consider a no-confidence vote will provide speedy relief.