Fifa’s chief of global football development Arsene Wenger says scrapping the plan to have private investment in Fifa competitions was “absolutely necessary and beyond question”.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino planned to create a commercial subsidiary to run its main events, including its World Cups, with external investors able to buy stakes.
Infantino had offered Fifa’s 211 member associations $40m (£30m) each if they backed the proposal.
But after days of controversy – including Uefa’s 55 nations threatening to boycott all Fifa tournaments – Infantino was forced to withdraw the plan.
There was further criticism from Prince Ali of Jordan, who accused Fifa of creating a situation which “amounts to blackmail” over unpaid prize money and support for Infantino’s re-election.
Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, meanwhile, called the last week “a sad and reproachable series of events” in an internal email to staff.
Wenger has been in a role which encompasses data analysis of the game, Fifa’s online training and youth competitions, since 2019.
The former Arsenal boss previously supported Infantino’s proposal to play the men’s World Cup every two years.
A week after Infantino’s investment plan was first released, the Frenchman issued a statement through Fifa in which he demanded “transparency and integrity” from world football’s governing body.
“The recent events at Fifa deserve some clarity from my side,” Wenger’s statement read.
“I was not involved in this strategic plan and first became aware of the project through media reports.
“The decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond question, because I firmly believe in an independent Fifa that serves our game with commitment, transparency, and integrity.”
Wenger is one of 18 Fifa officials named in a document preservation letter Uefa sent to Fifa threatening legal action.
Carlos Cordeiro – Infantino’s senior adviser on global strategy and governance – is the only Fifa official to resign over the scandal, saying the proposal was “a bad deal for football” and would “mortgage football’s future”.
