French President Emmanuel Macron has personally become involved in the crisis surrounding FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, according to L’Équipe.
The French head of state has reportedly held several telephone calls and exchanges with football’s governing bodies since The Times revealed plans on 28th July to create FIFA Forward Enterprise, a commercial subsidiary partly open to private investment.
Around 20% of the proposed company could have been sold to external investors. The structure would have managed major FIFA commercial activities, including broadcasting rights, ticketing, sponsorship and licensing for competitions such as the World Cup and Club World Cup.
The project was abandoned overnight between Friday and Saturday amid reported internal divisions, but the controversy has placed further pressure on Infantino and FIFA’s governance.
According to L’Équipe, Macron is aligned with UEFA’s position and has become personally engaged in the matter, despite not yet commenting publicly.
“There is a mobilisation from the president of the Republic,” a source close to Macron told the outlet, comparing his stance to his opposition to the European Super League project in 2021.
