Sri Lanka praises Infantinos inclusive leadership after FIFA revolt forces retreat

The Football Federation of Sri Lanka has praised the FIFA president Gianni Infantinos "inclusive leadership style" after he withdrew his 20 billion dollar plan to open FIFAs commercial operations to private investors, a proposal he abandoned within 72 hours only after all 55 UEFA member associations threatened to boycott FIFA competitions and his own senior adviser resigned over it.

In a statement issued on 1 August, the FFSL president Jaswar Umar noted Infantinos withdrawal but gushed with praise for the FIFA chief, saying the decision demonstrated his commitment to "fostering unity, harmony, and constructive engagement" among member associations.

"One of President Infantinos defining leadership qualities has always been his willingness to listen to the views and concerns of Member Associations. This decision is a clear reflection of his inclusive leadership style, built on dialogue, mutual respect, and a genuine commitment to serving the global football community," the statement read.

Umar added that the federation joined "many Member Associations across Asia" in reaffirming its support for Infantino and his vision of "using the beautiful game to unite people".

The account of events offered by Colombo bears little resemblance to what unfolded in world football over the past week. Infantino unveiled the Forward Enterprise proposal, which would have created a roughly 20 billion dollar subsidiary opening minority ownership of FIFAs commercial operations, including World Cup revenues, to private investors, on 28 July. Opposition was immediate and near universal.

UEFA accused FIFA of putting the sports soul up for sale, and its 55 member associations agreed unanimously that their national teams would not take part in FIFA competitions while the proposal remained live. CONCACAF rejected the plan, complaining it had never been consulted. The Asian Football Confederation, of which Sri Lanka is a member, described FIFAs approach as unacceptable. CONMEBOL raised concerns, and criticism came too from European clubs, professional leagues and the global players union.

FIFA initially dug in, issuing a clarification document at three oclock in the morning Zurich time blaming "erroneous reporting" and insisting nobody was selling football, while confirming that member associations would receive increased Forward development funding of 20 million dollars each regardless of whether the proposal proceeded. Within hours, Infantinos senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned, calling the proposal a bad deal for football and noting he had played no part in developing it. Only then did Infantino withdraw, conceding that the plan had "created divisions" that were no longer in the interest of its original objective.

Sri Lankas statemen makes no reference to the boycott threat, the resignation, or the confederations complaints that they were never consulted, recasting a forced climbdown as a demonstration of listening. Nor does it note that smaller federations such as the FFSL were the intended beneficiaries of the increased development funding that accompanied the plan, an inducement critics characterised as an attempt to buy the support of associations with little commercial leverage of their own.

The timing of Colombos endorsement is equally striking. With the proposal dead, attention across world football has turned to whether Infantino retains the confidence of the confederations, and to his campaign for another term as FIFA president, with some associations now reconsidering endorsements they had previously given him.

The federations own governance record offers little authority from which to lecture on consultation and transparency. FIFA suspended the FFSL in January 2023 over political interference, stripping it of membership rights and barring its clubs and national teams from international competition, after the sports ministry introduced regulations that compromised the autonomy of national sporting bodies and Umar was barred from contesting that years presidential election.

The Sri Lankan mens team was ranked 207th in the world at the time of the suspension.