What questions will Gianni Infantino be facing at the FIFA council meeting?

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What tough questions will Gianni Infantino face at the FIFA Council meeting?

The video examines the political pressure on Gianni Infantino at the FIFA Council meeting in Zurich, focusing on the World Cup stake sale controversy, the Balogun suspension case, the FIFA Peace Prize and increased payments to member associations. The conclusion is that Infantino will not resign and still has global support, but opposition in Europe is strong and the presidential election challenge remains unclear.

► Subscribe to Sky Sports News: http://bit.ly/SkySportsNewsSub ► Watch Sky Sports with NOW: https://bit.ly/NOWSkySportsYT Gianni Infantino will face some of his political enemies, rivals, and harshest critics when the FIFA Council meets in Zurich on Thursday morning. The 10am meeting is the first opportunity for the other 36 Council members to question Infantino directly about his secret plan to sell the World Cup behind their backs. Sky Sports News' Chief Correspondent Kaveh Solhekol discusses what could happen at the Fifa Council meeting. SkySportsNews SkySports gianniinfantino ► For the latest developments on this story: https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/topstories ► For the latest transfer news: https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/TransferCentre More from Sky Sports on YouTube: ► Sky Sports: http://bit.ly/SkySportsSub ► Sky Sports Boxing: http://bit.ly/SSBoxingSub ► Sky Sports Cricket: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyCricket ► Sky Sports Darts: https://bit.ly/SubSkySportsDarts ► Sky Sports Football: http://bit.ly/SSFootballSub ► Sky Sports F1: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyF1 ► Sky Sports Golf: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsGolf ► Sky Sports Premier League: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsPL ► Sky Sports Retro: http://bit.ly/SkySportsRetroSub ► Sky Sports WSL: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsWSL ► TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skysportsnews ► X: https://x.com/SkySportsNews ► Website: https://www.skysports.com ► To enquire about licensing Sky Sports content, you can find out more here: https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/news/31754/11434270/license-sky-sports-footage

Transcript

Our FIFA president Johnny Infantino is facing some of his political enemies and harshest critics at a FIFA council meeting which is happening in Zurich right now. So chief correspondent Carve Sol is back with us right Carve just explain why this meeting is so important. >> Yeah I mean this is a really really big meeting for Johnny Infantino. I think his future as FIFA president is at stake. The reason it's so important is this is the first meeting since basically Infantino was caught going behind the back of the other members of the FIFA Council and cooking up this incredible plan he came up with which was to sell a stake in the World Cup. So what he wanted to do was set up a uh company. The company was going to be valued at 20 billion pounds and a quarter of it was going to be sold off to US investors and for their5 billion pounds they were going to get a quarter share in all FIFA tournaments forever more. And instead of Infantino doing this in front of all the other 36 members of the FIFA council and discussing it with them, he basically went and did it in secret and it only came out when it came out in the times and then Johnny Infantino basically was under a lot of pressure and he had to scrap the plan. But this is the first chance that all his critics, all his political enemies, all the people who want him out have had a chance to sit down with him face to face and say, "Johnny, what were you playing at? What was your thinking? Why were you trying to sell off a stake in the World Cup to private investors? We need some answers and we need them now." >> Well, I want to know what other questions they might have. But also when you said there his future as president is at stake, nothing's going to happen today, is it? He's not just suddenly going to step down today, is he? >> No, he he won't. >> He's going to see if he's got support. >> No, not at all. He He will never resign. He will cling on to his job for as long as it takes. He's made that clear and he believes he's got the support to carry on incredibly as FIFA president despite all the scandals and all the controversies. >> Okay. So, what other questions might they have? I know the big one is selling off a stake in the World Cup. What else might he be faced with? How long? How long have you got >> when you talk we listen car, don't worry. Well, look, what else is he going to be asked? He's going to be asked about following Balagan. What happened there? This guy was suspended. He should not have played for the USA against Belgium. And then President Trump rings up Gianni Infantino and hey presto magically the suspension is lifted and Balagan gets to play against uh Belgium. So he's going to be asked about that and I think what he will say is look I've listened. I've learned I didn't do anything wrong by the way but we're going to introduce a new rule today which means that can't happen ever again. So if you get a red card and you're suspended, that suspension cannot be lifted. So he's going to deal with that. He's also going to be asked about the fact that he's announcing that all uh FIFA member federations, so the 211 football associations that make up FIFA, he's going to say to them, I've got some great news for you. Um over the next four years cycle, you were expecting FIFA to give you $10 million each. I can now reveal that instead of $10 million, I'm going to be giving you $25 million to each member association. Now, if I was in that meeting, I would be saying, "Great. That's great news. Great news, Johnny. But why are you doing this? Why why are you doing this now? And if you've got all this money to hand out, why were you trying to sell off a stake in the World Cup to raise money?" So, he's going to be asked about that as well. and he's going to be asked about the FIFA Peace Prize. One of the most surreal experiences of my life. I was in Washington last December. Johnny Infantino got up on stage and gave President Donald Trump something called the FIFA Peace Prize. So, he's going to be asked what is that? What were you thinking? Why were we uh not consulted? So, those are just some of the uh questions he's dealing with right now. Now, the meeting started about 45 minutes ago. Sometimes these meetings can be quite boring, but I think they're going to be fireworks at this one. And if I was in that room, I would have my popcorn. Now, >> what as a player, what did you think with the Balagan situation? >> I thought I thought it was ludicrous. Thought it was absolutely ludicrous. I mean, I think everyone did, didn't they? I think um you know, just to think that that could be turned over from a phone call from from Trump was just absolutely unbelievable. It's unheard of. Um, and I think, you know, when it actually did happen, I think the the laughing stock about it all. Uh, but then the seriousness of it, you know, you don't really think of it, do you? To be honest, and as you said, I think the questions that he'll be getting fired at him today. Um, >> but the issue is, you know, the the the FIFA council is made up of 37 members. M >> it is Johnny Infantino and then there are the presidents of all the continental confederations and then there's another 28 members. Now Johnny Infantino I think still has a lot of supporters in that room. So it's not like everyone has turned on him. Lots of people federations in Africa, South America also some in Asia uh and the Caribbean especially still believe in Johnny Infantino. So I know when we talk about it, we see it from a sort of Western European perspective where we see him as somebody who's well past his sell by date. That is not the global perspective necessarily, which is why he's refusing to resign. >> But why why why would why would people believe in particularly with the things that he's done? >> Why why would they why would they trust him? It just doesn't seem to be >> Can I be honest? >> Please please can I say what I think? Yeah. Uh I think cynics would say it's got a lot to do with money. >> Okay. >> Because since Yanni Infantino has become FIFA president, the amount of money that all the 211 football associations around the world has gone up massively and they can use that money for development for grassroots football for developing women's football. So while that money is coming in, yeah, they are quite happy with Johnny Infantino. And to be fair to him, he spends all his life basically flying around the world, visiting all these uh federations. I think a couple of weeks ago he was in Mongolia. He was going there shaking hands, you know, opening up new facilities. So they're very very happy with Johnny Efentino. The problem is there's lots of other people who are unhappy with him, especially in Europe, because the UEFA president Alexander Shefferin is basically his sworn enemy now, and he wants him out. And it'll be really, really interesting to see over the next few weeks if anybody comes out and says, "I'm going to challenge Johnny Infantino because if you want to take him on uh in the FIFA presidential election in March in Morocco, you have to declare your candidacy by the 18th of November. Nobody's really come out so far. Rammon Vega, the former Spurs Watford Switzerland defender and Celtic defender. He's come out. >> Rammon is a lovely guy. He feels really really passionately about football governance, but he needs the backing of five FAS to be able to stand and I'm not sure he's going to get that. Other people maybe who are being mentioned as potential candidates are wenger. Now, I think he would be very very popular, but I'm not sure he wants to get involved in FIFA politics. He's already got a really really good job at FIFA, chief of football, global football development. The other one to look out for is Lewis Figo. Somebody who is um you know, very popular in Europe, known worldwide as well. He's thought about running before, so he could be a potential candidate as well before the deadline of the 18th of November.