Gianni Infantino has made a rare public apology over the controversial proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. In spite of the huge backlash that forced a complete U-turn on the project, the under-pressure chief has held on to his position after crisis meetings in Morocco.

Infantino survives crisis meeting in Morocco

After an emergency FIFA crisis meeting in Morocco, Infantino formally apologised for the "mistakes" made during his failed effort to privatise parts of the World Cup. Although the Swiss administrator was pushed into an embarrassing climbdown over the contentious FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project, he has managed to survive a serious threat to his leadership after senior officials at the summit renewed their full backing for his presidency.

Infantino's retreat followed his plan to sell tournament stakes to private investors sparking a civil war inside football's world governing body. The internal conflict peaked with a united revolt from Europe's leading powers, with UEFA threatening a total boycott of FIFA competitions if the commercial proposal had gone through.

Apology issued for World Cup 'errors'

In a joint statement issued on Wednesday evening, Infantino and secretary general Mattias Grafstrom accepted that the process had been flawed. "We acknowledge mistakes were made in the process of the proposed establishment of FFE," the letter said. "It was certainly not the intention for the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations to feel excluded from the process and it should have been handled differently.

"We acknowledge that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media. We sincerely apologise for these errors and commit to them not happening again. With this in mind, we will conduct a necessary review, and a report will be presented to the FIFA Council at its next scheduled meeting."

Internal backing despite scathing criticism

Although Grafstrom had earlier described the proposal as "sad and reproachable" in private emails to staff, the official communication from the meeting projected a sense of restored unity. The statement added: "For the avoidance of doubt, the FIFA Secretary General and the Management Board in attendance reaffirm their full support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as the only official elected by the 211 FIFA Member Associations

"It was discussed and agreed at the meeting that the processes, communications and interactions between the FIFA President, the FIFA Secretary General and the Management Board that support the delivery of this vision can and should always be continuously improved in terms of their effectiveness and efficiency.

"We are fully confident that the outcomes of today's meeting will strengthen FIFA's governance, help restore confidence in the organisation and enable us to prepare for the major events and challenges ahead in a united and transparent manner while continuing our mission to develop the game around the world."

To strengthen his position during the talks in Rabat, reports indicate the FIFA chief turned to political manoeuvring involving future tournaments. Infantino is alleged to have offered Morocco the 2030 World Cup final in return for their crucial public backing.

Legends demand resignation

Despite the display of unity inside FIFA headquarters, much of the football world remains unconvinced by Infantino's apology. Real Madrid and Portugal legend Luis Figo, who works as a consultant for UEFA, delivered a sharp attack on the president's conduct. Figo said: "I could write 10,000 words on the problems at FIFA. But the solution needs only three: Infantino must go." Whether the embattled president will act on that message remains to be seen.