<\/div>\nNeither claim passed muster with FIFPRO, who said this was \u201cnot a defence\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is an indictment of FIFA\u2019s current governance framework,\u201d the statement reads. <\/p>\n
\u201cA framework that allows a project of this magnitude to be developed behind closed doors and hidden from those it affects until it leaks, is a framework that must be reformed, not defended.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also note FIFA\u2019s warning that it \u201cwill no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cLet us be clear: scrutiny of football\u2019s governance is not an attack. It is the duty of everyone who sustains the game. <\/p>\n
\u201cAny attempt to portray legitimate, good-faith scrutiny as disloyalty will only deepen the concern this episode has caused. And an internal review that reports only to the very Council that was bypassed is no answer at all. <\/p>\n
\u201cPlayers, their representatives and the professional football stakeholders must be part of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo institution can restore confidence in a presidency that has itself dismantled the conditions upon which confidence depends. <\/p>\n
\u201cTrust cannot simply be demanded. Authority cannot merely be asserted. Legitimacy cannot be proclaimed. Each must be earned. Each can be lost.\u201d<\/p>\n
FIFPRO have also called for a series of additions to a Memorandum of Understanding signed only weeks ago.<\/p>\n
Among their demands are for FIFA to be required to consult with footballing stakeholders, including the players unions and world conferences, on \u201cdecisions of major consequence\u201d, and give FIFPRO a \u201cclear and formally recognised role\u201d that includes FIFA Council voting rights.<\/p>\n
Pointedly, they also addressed Infantino directly by calling for \u201cgovernance and structural reforms that make it impossible for any individual, ever again, to drive unilateral decisions through the game\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe withdrawal of FFE prevented an irreversible decision,\u201d the statement continues. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt did not restore the confidence that made such a proposal possible in the first place. That confidence has now been fundamentally broken. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt cannot be rebuilt through carefully drafted statements, internal reviews or promises to improve processes. Nor can it be restored simply by announcing governance and structural reforms that should always have existed.\u201d<\/p>\n
FIFPRO\u2019s statement is only one of a series of new spotfires facing FIFA and Infantino as the president clings to power.<\/p>\n
UEFA, who began the backlash by promising its 55 member nations would boycott future major tournaments should the FFE plan not relent, has refused to back down following FIFA\u2019s statement.<\/p>\n
In a statement, the organisation confirmed their boycott remains in place.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>FIFA president Gianni Infantino (centre) speaks to FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom (left). (AP Photo)<\/span>Source: AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThey are seeking more from FIFA that the scrapping of their immediate private equity plans, calling for \u201cassurances \u2026 that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn addition, UEFA made it abundantly clear in its statement on Saturday that it has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino\u2019s presidency. That position holds.<\/p>\n
\u201cYesterday\u2019s announcement that some people employed by the FIFA president [and whose careers depend on his favour] agree with him changes nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
European football\u2019s governing body, which has long clashed with FIFA and Infantino, has the power to stand up to both.<\/p>\n
The threat of losing world powerhouses England, France, Spain, Germany and others from world tournaments enough to shatter the value of those events and dismantle the FFE proposal at a stroke.<\/p>\n
A UEFA vote of no confidence in Infantino has thus far been unable to dislodge the 56-year old.<\/p>\n
However, the support of Africa is also significant, with the CAF accepting FIFA\u2019s apology – a stark contrast to the rest of the world.<\/p>\n
In a statement, the body \u201cunanimously reconfirmed its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino and thanked him for his support for African Football, over the years\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Football players union FIFPRO has joined the growing list of critics calling for a radical overhaul of world football, as embattled FIFA president Gianni Infantino struggles to hold onto his job. But the 56-year old\u2019s quest to cling to power received a major boost with the Confederation of African Football giving their unanimous support. Infantino […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":256522,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6807],"tags":[156],"class_list":{"0":"post-256521","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-leagues-cups","8":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256521","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=256521"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256521\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/256522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=256521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=256521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=256521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}