Infantino had sought approval from national associations to establish Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), a company which would oversee the commercial and operational aspects of its competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups. The most controversial element of the plan was the proposed sale of a 20 per cent stake to private investors. In exchange for allowing private investors the opportunity to pay billions for involvement in the planning of future World Cups, he offered each of FIFA’s 211 member associations the chance to make £15 million ($20 million) instantly if they vote through his plans.
On Friday senior advisor Carlos Codeiro, a former Goldman Sachs partner, resigned saying the proposal was “a bad deal for FIFA’s Member Associations, a bad deal for football, and a bad deal for the long-term future of the game.” While Infantino claimed that the idea of the FFE was simply a consultation exercise, sources close to the scheme claim that the intention was for the FIFA president to become a chief executive or commissioner. That would have seen him land a salary of around £22.2m annually, before bonuses.