A close confidant of Fifa president Gianni Infantino has publicly defended him against a wave of criticism from major football confederations, insisting that he continues to command the support of most member associations despite calls for his removal.
Véron Mosengo-Omba, president of the Congolese Football Federation (Fecofa) and a former Fifa chief member associations officer, said he remains firmly in Infantino's corner even as pressure builds from Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation, who have jointly issued an open letter demanding "leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it."
"Most of the federations are supporting him. Just ask the congress," Mosengo-Omba told the Guardian. "Now people are trying to attack Gianni but I'm ready to take a bullet for him."
The tension stems largely from a controversial Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative, which Infantino had championed in partnership with US bank JP Morgan. The scheme aimed to sell off more than 20% of the World Cup's commercial rights to private investors, promising to generate hundreds of millions of dollars and boost distributions to Fifa's 211 member associations by more than $10bn. The plan was ultimately withdrawn amid backlash.
Despite his loyalty to Infantino, Mosengo-Omba acknowledged he had opposed the project himself, criticizing how it was rolled out rather than its underlying concept. "I didn't send a letter of support [for Infantino] because I didn't agree with the way the project was done," he explained. He drew a comparison to Uefa's own commercial ventures, noting that the Champions League and European Championship operate as independent companies. "Gianni came with a similar proposal but now he has withdrawn it. So what's the problem? What I didn't like and where I think Gianni committed a mistake was the way it was done. Because the risk was it could have seen a lot of [private] companies organising the World Cup. That is my reproach to him."
The dispute has already claimed one high-profile casualty. Fifa's chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, was dismissed this week after voicing objections to the now-abandoned investment scheme. Fifa itself has accused Infantino's critics of orchestrating a coordinated campaign to destabilize both the organization and its leader.
Behind the scenes, Uefa has reportedly been lobbying other confederations in an attempt to convene an emergency Fifa congress that could trigger a no-confidence vote against Infantino. However, significant doubt remains over whether opponents can muster the 106 votes out of 211 member associations needed to remove him from office.
Mosengo-Omba, who left his role as general secretary of the Confederation of African Football earlier this year after reaching the organization's age limit, revealed he is now considering reviving a modified version of the rejected investment plan. Rather than opening World Cup stakes to outside investors broadly, his alternative would allow individual confederations to purchase equity shares directly.
"Gianni's project was good. I would buy it but make some changes," he said. "You could, for example, say that a confederation can buy 20%. We could do that. That's my idea – I could come with the proposal in the next congress, maybe." He emphasized the potential benefits for developing football nations like his own, estimating that Congo could receive as much as $20m annually under such an arrangement. "Because I need money to develop football in the Congo. The people here have nothing... that can have a big impact in my country."
As the power struggle within Fifa's leadership continues to unfold, the coming congress could prove decisive in determining both Infantino's future and the direction of World Cup commercial strategy.
Based on reporting from the Guardian.