By Desmond Nleya
The chair of the English Football Association (FA), Debbie Hewitt, has called on FIFA President Gianni Infantino to release documents related to a controversial plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors.
Hewitt, who is also a FIFA vice-president and member of the FIFA Council, has written to Infantino requesting full disclosure of information surrounding the proposal ahead of the council’s next meeting on October 15.
The investment plan was abandoned after strong opposition from within football, including UEFA, which had threatened to boycott FIFA competitions if the proposal went ahead.
Infantino apologised in August over the process surrounding the plan. FIFA’s management board subsequently said the proposal would be reviewed, but the organisation has not publicly identified who will conduct the review.
UEFA has said it has “lost confidence” in Infantino and has launched legal proceedings in the United States seeking access to documents linked to the proposed investment deal.
Hewitt has also requested documents concerning FIFA’s decision to suspend a ban imposed on United States striker Folarin Balogun during the World Cup. The decision followed a phone call between United States President Donald Trump and Infantino.
The dispute comes as Infantino prepares to seek another term as FIFA president. He confirmed earlier this month that he intends to stand for re-election at the FIFA Congress in March.
UEFA has said it will seek to identify a candidate to challenge Infantino, with November 18 set as the deadline for submitting nominations.
