Gianni Infantino will remain as Fifa president after he received the backing of senior executives in a meeting in Morocco on Wednesday. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.
Infantino summoned members of the management board to Fifa's Africa office in Rabat following mounting criticism of his aborted attempt to sell off commercial and event operations to private investors.
European football's governing body Uefa said at the weekend that it has lost confidence in Infantino, calling the Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal a "shabby, back room, opaque deal".
Much criticism has come from within Fifa, including secretary general Mattias Grofstrom, who was at Wednesday's meeting. In an internal memo sent to Fifa staff on Tuesday, he wrote that the situation is "a sad and reproachable series of events".
However, in a statement following the meeting, Grofstrom and the managament board "reaffirmed their full support" for Infantino as president.
This incident occurs against the backdrop of controversy and criticism regarding Infantino's reputation at Fifa. His attempt to sell commercial operations to private investors has caused great discontent in the football world. Uefa's characterization of the proposal as a "shabby, back room, opaque deal" reflects the dissatisfaction of European football federations.
Criticism within Fifa is also evident. Secretary general Mattias Grofstrom's words in an internal memo about "a sad and reproachable series of events" clearly indicate disagreements within the organization. Nevertheless, following the meeting, the management board expressed support for Infantino and agreed to the continuation of his presidency.
This decision may provoke different opinions in the football world. Some experts speak of a decline in confidence in Infantino's leadership, and now attention will be focused on his future steps and reforms.