Debbie Hewitt Says Infantino Must Answer Questions After FIFA Council Apology

• Gianni Infantino apologised for “mistakes” to the FIFA Council in Zurich on Thursday, but gave members none of the documents they had asked for.
• England FA chair Debbie Hewitt said that if Infantino does not answer the council’s questions, “he is not fit to be the FIFA president.”
• German FA president Bernd Neuendorf said “No satisfactory answers were provided” as UEFA keeps pushing to remove Infantino before or at the March 18 election.

Three and a Half Hours in Zurich and No Answers on the Table

Debbie Hewitt had a blunt message for Gianni Infantino after FIFA’s council meeting in Zurich. Hewitt, who chairs the English FA and is a FIFA vice president, said Infantino has to answer the questions put to him. If he does not, in her words, “he is not fit to be the FIFA president.”

She did give him some credit for turning up with an apology. Hewitt said it came “with some contrition.” But the apology was all the council received on Thursday.

The meeting ran for about three and a half hours. Members went in wanting details on two disputes: the plan to sell off a stake in future World Cups, which Infantino dropped in July, and the case of Folarin Balogun’s red card, in which US President Donald Trump intervened. They left without documents on either one.

What Infantino Said to the Council

The plan at the centre of it is called FIFA Forward Enterprise. Sky Sports reported that it would have sold a 20 per cent stake in all future FIFA tournaments to private investors, and that member associations were reportedly offered up to $40m each from 2027 to 2030 if they approved it. The Associated Press put the sell-off at $4.2 billion.

Infantino addressed the criticism in a video statement. He said he apologised for the mistakes FIFA made over communication and consultation, and he described the plan as “just a proposal, so in no way a done deal.”

FIFA told reporters that details of the investor project stay confidential as legal proceedings continue in the United States. Infantino gave no details on either dispute.

The president also put money on the table. He offered each member federation an extra $15 million in FIFA funding over four years.

The Critics Were Not Satisfied

Neuendorf, who leads the German FA and is a UEFA delegate, gave the sharpest summary of the mood. “No satisfactory answers were provided,” he said. He went on to say that FIFA needs a leader who can restore its reputation. “We need a person of integrity,” Neuendorf said.

Hewitt’s line was just as direct: Infantino must answer the questions, and if he does not, she believes he is unfit for the job.

UEFA is leading the push to remove Infantino before the election or at it. It has asked US courts for evidence to support a criminal complaint against him in Switzerland, which alleges possible mismanagement of FIFA finances. FIFA’s lawyers have called those requests a “smear campaign.”

Infantino Still Has Backers

Not every council member left angry. Ahmed Yahya of Mauritania said Infantino is the right person to keep leading football. Sky Sports noted that many European associations have withdrawn letters of support they gave Infantino earlier this year, but his prospects of winning another term are still strong. He needs 106 of 211 votes, and he stays in power if no challenger emerges by the November 18 deadline.

Arsene Wenger is a possible challenger, according to Sky Sports, though he currently works for FIFA under Infantino. Sky described the affair as the most serious crisis of Infantino’s presidency.

The Calendar Ahead

Several dates now shape the fight. November 18 is the deadline for nominating a candidate against Infantino. FIFA holds an extraordinary congress on November 23 to confirm the hosts of the 2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cups. The next council meeting takes place in Doha on December 16, and FIFA will review then whether to keep awarding the peace prize created for Trump last December. The presidential election is set for March 18 in Rabat, Morocco.

For now the standoff is simple. Infantino has said sorry. Hewitt and Neuendorf want answers, and the council is still waiting for them.