turn was 'absolutely necessary'

FIFA's chief of global football development Arsene Wenger says Gianni Infantino’s decision to withdraw from a plan to sell stakes in a World Cup company to private investors was "absolutely necessary and beyond question".

Former Arsenal manager Wenger issued a statement on Tuesday morning a week on from the first reports emerging about Infantino’s plan to create FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) and sell a 20% stake in it to private equity.

The plan was rejected by three continental confederations, with UEFA going further and threatening to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions if it was not dropped.

Wenger did not indicate any intention to follow Infantino’s senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro in quitting the organisation, but made clear he was opposed to the FFE plan, saying he believed in FIFA serving the game with "commitment, transparency, and integrity".

"The recent events at FIFA deserve some clarity from my side," the Frenchman said in a statement.

"At FIFA, I am the Chief of Global Football Development.

"Together with my team, I oversee the data analysis of the game, the FIFA online training centre, the development of youth education through 60 academies across 60 countries where they are most needed, and youth competitions around the world.

"In addition, I am a technical adviser to IFAB.

"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."

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