US President Donald Trump has publicly backed Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, amid criticism and calls for his resignation. Trump posted a message on Truth Social, stating that FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if they considered replacing Infantino, who he described as ‘fantastic’ and credited with presiding over the most successful World Cup ever.
Criticism of Infantino
Criticism of Infantino stems from the handling of the now-scrapped FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, which planned to sell off a portion of commercial and operational rights of the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors. The fallout from this attempt has divided the soccer landscape, with continental confederations and individual national associations split on whether a change in FIFA leadership is needed.
Despite acknowledging mistakes were made, FIFA is still facing obstacles that are preventing it and Infantino from moving on from the saga. Trump’s support for Infantino comes after European soccer governing body UEFA, North & Central American and Caribbean governing body CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation demanded a change in leadership and an independent review.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
