Football Australia chair Anter Isaac has dismissed concerns over Gianni Infantino’s disputed attempt to privatise World Cup commercial operations, ahead of a gathering of Asian confederation officials in Tokyo this week.
Isaac’s remarks come as support for the under-pressure Fifa president begins to recover worldwide. Infantino had previously appeared at risk of losing his position following criticism from officials across Europe and North America.
The Swiss lawyer now has the support of South America, Africa and an increasing number of Asian countries, potentially giving him enough votes to secure victory in March’s Fifa presidential election.
Leading continental officials are gathering in Tokyo this week for the Asian Football Confederation congress. Although Fifa’s leadership and governance are not on the official agenda, attendees are expected to discuss both issues, along with whether January’s Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia will proceed as planned.
Isaac, Australia’s highest-ranking football official, addressed the situation at Fifa during an appearance earlier this month on a small sports business YouTube channel whose video has attracted fewer than 200 views.
He said observers could simply describe the situation as chaotic, or they could adopt a more considered perspective and view the problems as difficulties caused by rapid growth.
Isaac noted that Fifa’s income has risen sharply over recent World Cup cycles, while the organisation’s internal systems and procedures may not have expanded at the same speed. He insisted that those working in football generally act with the sport’s best interests in mind.
He suggested that disagreements may arise not from people’s overall objectives, but from differences in strategy, communication and the methods used to achieve those goals.
Football Australia’s previous statement on the disputed plan known as Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), released in August, requested transparent and credible action but did not call for Infantino to step down.
Its position was largely consistent with a letter jointly signed by Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, which called for Fifa leadership focused on serving football rather than controlling it.
Since then, Salman appears to have adopted a less confrontational position toward Infantino, instead advocating stronger governance at Fifa. His shift comes as more Asian countries, including Qatar and the UAE, signal their backing for the president.
Isaac said critics of organisations such as Fifa, the AFC and Uefa often do not have access to the same information as officials working within those institutions.
He explained that if he knew only what was available to the public and most critics, he might reach similar conclusions. However, his position gives him access to considerably more information and a broader understanding of events behind the scenes.
Isaac added that major football institutions, confederations and national associations perform substantial work that receives little public attention, particularly when assisting stakeholders who require the greatest support.
Uefa wrote to Fifa this week requesting clarification about the proposed sale of a 20% share in its commercial rights through the abandoned FFE plan, as well as the Folarin Balogun matter and the organisation’s relationship with Donald Trump.
The letter followed last week’s Fifa council meeting in Zurich, the first held since details of FFE became public. Infantino heard questions at the meeting but did not provide full responses, instead asking for written submissions before the council meets again in Doha on 16 December.
Isaac said it was too early to confirm whether he would support Infantino in next year’s election. While acknowledging that he has personal opinions and does not want to criticise the president publicly, he believes much of the controversy concerns the procedures that were followed.
He said he was encouraged that officials across football are now examining those procedures, identifying what could have been handled differently and considering formal safeguards designed to prevent a similar situation in the future.
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