By Enitan Abdultawab
FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström has described the governing body’s abandoned World Cup investment proposal as a “sad and reproachable series of events,” urging staff to remain focused despite the turmoil surrounding the controversial project.
According to Sky Sports, Grafström made the remarks in an internal email sent to FIFA employees following the collapse of plans to sell minority stakes in a new commercial entity linked to the World Cup.
Reflecting on the controversy, he wrote, “A sad and reproachable series of events — which were thankfully concluded with the FFE project permanently abandoned — for as much as we feel dismayed by them, should not overshadow this reality.”
The memo came after FIFA president Gianni Infantino shelved the proposal to create FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a commercial subsidiary that would have allowed private investors to buy minority stakes in FIFA’s flagship competitions. The plan attracted widespread opposition from member associations, particularly in Europe.
