Gianni Infantino followed World Cup controversies with a widely scorned plan to let private investors in. Here’s how the game’s leaders can find a path forward
How can an organisation that runs the biggest sporting event in the world also be the one that sets the rules for the entire game? We saw the reality of such a conflict at the recent World Cup as Fifa ran roughshod over its rulebook – be it over the length of suspensions or the duration of half-time – in an attempt to generate more attention for its competition. One person with extensive knowledge of the inside workings of Fifa puts it like this: “They have shown that they will bend the rules to make them more money. This is a big conflict of interest. Not only should the commercial and the regulatory parts of Fifa be separated, but so should the development part and possibly one or two others as well.”
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