Gianni Infantino (foto: Getty Images)
FIFA admitted mistakes over its abandoned commercial rights proposal, apologized to member associations and pledged to defend the organization's integrity after an emergency meeting in Morocco.
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FIFA has attempted to draw a line under one of the biggest governance crises of Gianni Infantino's presidency after an emergency leadership meeting in Rabat, Morocco.
Following the gathering, FIFA issued a statement confirming that Secretary General Mattias Grafström and the members of the FIFA administration present had reaffirmed their support for Infantino, describing him as "the only official elected by FIFA's 211 member associations."
Infantino, in turn, reiterated his confidence in the Secretary General and FIFA's administration, praising their work in delivering his vision for the organization.
FIFA admits mistakes
The meeting focused heavily on the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, the project that would have introduced private investment into FIFA's commercial operations before ultimately being withdrawn.
FIFA acknowledged that mistakes had been made during the process, particularly regarding communication with the FIFA Council and member associations.
Officials admitted that national federations should never have felt excluded from discussions and accepted that the proposal should have been managed differently from the outset.
The organization also recognized errors in its communication after details of the proposal became public.
Formal apology and audit
In a separate letter sent to FIFA Council members and the 211 national associations, the governing body formally apologized for those shortcomings and pledged to improve its decision-making processes.
FIFA also confirmed that an internal audit will now be carried out, with the findings scheduled to be presented at the next meeting of the FIFA Council.
The governing body stressed once again that the FFE proposal has been officially withdrawn and is no longer under consideration.
Warning against attacks on FIFA
Despite acknowledging mistakes, FIFA also adopted a firm tone regarding criticism directed at the organization.
The statement said FIFA would "no longer tolerate attacks on its integrity, good governance and legal procedures" and would take all necessary measures to protect its reputation.
According to FIFA, although procedural mistakes were made during the handling of the project, all actions remained within the framework of the organization's regulations.
Focus returns to football development
Looking ahead, FIFA said it intends to continue working with confederations, national associations and regional organizations through the FIFA Forward programme to support football development worldwide.
The governing body also stated that the lessons learned from the abandoned proposal would be used to improve transparency, governance and communication in future decision-making.