Infantino Apologizes Over Abandoned FIFA Investment Plan

FIFA President Gianni Infantino apologized to the FIFA Council on Thursday for failing to present a private-investment proposal before it became public, while Council members left a meeting without answers to questions and document requests, according to Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt. The proposal, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise, would have made a minority stake in FIFA’s commercial interests available to private investors. Infantino abandoned the plan within days of its emergence in July. Hewitt, who is also a FIFA vice-president, said Infantino apologized for not bringing it to the Council, but members received no answers to specific requests, including for documents related to the plan. The Council met in Zurich for three and a half hours, its first meeting since details of the proposal became public. Hewitt said Infantino asked members to submit their questions in writing. She told reporters that his apology did not change her view that he needed to answer questions before he could be considered fit to lead FIFA.