Infantino proposes FIFA reforms to save his throne after World Cup sale scandal

An enforced retreat

Fighting to contain the biggest crisis of his tenure and win back angry federations, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has ditched his controversial plan to sell off part of the World Cup. He has also thrown his weight behind a radical overhaul of FIFA's governance, just months before elections that could cost him his job.

Independent review and admission of error

In an official letter sent on Monday to the FIFA Council and the heads of the 211 member associations, seen by Reuters, Infantino set out two surprising proposals.

First, he wants an independent external party to conduct a full review of the current governance framework on major strategic initiatives and put forward recommendations for improvement.

Second, he plans wide-ranging consultations with the continental confederations and member associations to decide who gets to take decisions on pivotal initiatives. That covers the roles of the president, the bureau, the council and the congress, and how to strengthen transparency and accountability.

Infantino wrote in his letter: "I realise that this matter, without a full explanation of the context, caused concern and gave the impression that decisions had already been taken, which is not true. It remained merely a proposal, not a decision, and was always subject to the approvals of the council and member associations, and it has now been withdrawn and will not be adopted."

The 20% plan that sparked the revolt

The climbdown followed the storm whipped up by his proposal to sell a 20% share of FIFA's commercial rights, World Cup rights included, to private sector investors in a bid to pump more funding into developing the game.

Abandoned last July after a wave of anger and threats of a boycott, the plan pushed three major confederations, European body UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, to publicly demand changes in FIFA's leadership.

Infantino defended himself by insisting the plan would never have meant surrendering control over sporting decisions. He admitted, though, that word of the proposal had leaked out before it was put in full to the council and the associations.

The Rabat battle: Infantino still the strongest

The storm hasn't dented his standing. Infantino remains the strongest candidate to win a new term in the elections set for next March in the Moroccan capital, Rabat.

Well-informed sources told Reuters that his opponents are struggling to find anyone capable of taking him on, with the president still holding enough votes to win. That has forced his rivals to switch tack and target his absolute powers instead.

Infantino said he had listened to differing views on who should decide the big matters. Some want consensus required in the bureau, others want them put straight to the FIFA congress. "It is not my role to pre-judge this debate," he wrote.

He set 15 October as the date to discuss the initial proposals, leaving room for later ones, and noted that any changes to the statutes need the approval of the congress.

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Seeking to reassure associations fearful of retaliation, he added: "The treatment of any association will not depend on its stance on any proposal or institutional matter." He signed off: "I remain fully committed to leading FIFA, and I trust in what we can achieve together."