"Many Questions Remain"

After Infantino’s Failure: Now ÖFB Boss Pröll Speaks Out!

Josef Pröll and Gianni Infantino(Bild: GEPA)

Following the spectacular failure of Gianni Infantino’s billion-dollar investment plans, critics are pouncing on the embattled FIFA boss! Under the leadership of President Aleksander Ceferin, the European soccer union UEFA fueled the power struggle with strong words and, in thinly veiled terms, suggested that the most powerful man in world soccer step down. Criticism also came from ÖFB Supervisory Board Chairman Josef Pröll.

“Taking the investment plan off the table was a ‘first step in the right direction,’” Pröll said in a written statement. “The plans have shaken the very foundations of soccer worldwide, and a great deal of trust has been lost.”

Nevertheless, Pröll cautioned that they could not simply return to business as usual. “Many questions remain unanswered. Soccer is facing an intense period of fundamental discussions. We are prepared to lead these discussions calmly and in close dialogue with the associations and UEFA at the top, so that together we can set the right course for a sustainable and trustworthy future for soccer, in which the sport itself remains at the center. That is our shared responsibility.”

Other national soccer associations in Europe also issued critical statements regarding FIFA President Infantino. “The events surrounding this project initiated by Gianni Infantino must now be fully investigated. The FIFA President acted arbitrarily, without transparency, and ultimately irresponsibly in the interests of soccer,” wrote DFB President Bernd Neuendorf.

We must now “work together with UEFA and other confederations to ensure that a fundamentally different culture takes hold at FIFA—a culture in which, above all, decisions are once again discussed and made by the members within the governing bodies.”

:“The matter is not settled” “It is time for a comprehensive and thorough review of FIFA’s leadership and governance to ensure that the global sport of soccer is run transparently and for the benefit of all 211 member associations,” demanded the English Football Association (FA). The Dutch federation also clearly distanced itself from Infantino.

“With the withdrawal of the proposal, the matter is not settled for the KNVB. The way this process has unfolded has led to a fundamental breach of trust in the leadership style of FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The KNVB no longer has confidence in his leadership,” the statement said. “This situation calls for a serious discussion about the future of governance and leadership within FIFA.”