Gianni Infantino has been at the centre of controversy once again(Image: Getty Images)
Piers Morgan has called for Gianni Infantino to leave in the midst of his World Cup sale scandal. The FIFA President has found himself at the centre of controversy over the past few weeks, having launched an idea that will see a share of the World Cup sold off to foreign investors.
That plot has not gone down well across the globe, with UEFA, CONCACAF and more federations slamming the plan. The organisers of the European game have also threatened to pull their nations out of any future FIFA competitions should they go through with the plan.
Broadcaster Morgan is among those to have spoken out in opposition and claimed that it is now time for Infantino to step aside.
Taking to social media, he wrote: “I thought FIFA boss Gianni Infantino was a force for good in football. I was wrong. The shameful Balogun fiasco was bad enough, but his greedy, tawdry attempt to flog off the World Cup is beyond the pale. He must go.”
Morgan is not the only one to have suggested that Morgan needs to leave his role as FIFA president. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham also questioned his suitability for the job after his World Cup plan was unveiled.
He said: “This was an outrageous suggestion. The idea that it could even be brought forward shows that, in my view, [he] is the wrong man to lead the organisation.”
Those comments came after Burnham tore into Infantino’s plan to sell a share in the World Cup. Talking to social media, he said: “Let me say this very directly. Football does not belong to investors. It belongs to the people who fill the stands and who stand on the touchline week in, week out, rain or shine.
“The World Cup is not a product. It is the greatest competition in world sport, and it was never anyone’s to sell. Dress the deal up however you like. Once you have sold a piece of it, you have sold out. Football belongs to the fans. It always has, and it always will.”
FIFA’s plan to sell a share of the World Cup has been widely criticised(Image: Getty Images)
The fallout from FIFA’s proposal has even worsened over the past couple of days, with Infantino’s senior advisor, Carlos Cordeiro, choosing to resign from his position.
A statement read: “As a Senior Advisor to the FIFA President, a former banker, and a lifelong football fan, I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup. Let me be clear: I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally. It is a bad deal for FIFA’s Member Associations, a bad deal for football, and a bad deal for the long-term future of the game.
“Football has been central to my life, and after more than 35 years in banking, I understand both the value of this asset and the consequences of giving part of it away. That is why this proposal should be rejected. FIFA already has access to extraordinary financial resources.
“This proposal has become a defining question for FIFA’s future. After careful consideration, I can no longer continue in my role as Senior Advisor to the FIFA President. I have therefore resigned with immediate effect. FIFA’s responsibility is not to maximise commercial returns at any cost. It is to protect and strengthen football for future generations. When those principles come into conflict, football must come first.
“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve FIFA for more than five years and to work alongside dedicated, principled people who care deeply about the game. I hope they, too, will speak up, because decisions of this magnitude should be made in the interests of football, not those who stand to profit from it.”
