How Philippe Diallo Received Behind-the-Scenes Support from the Élysée Palace During the FIFA Crisis
The French Football Federation office is calling for a “profound transformation” of the FIFA’s governance, but without any specifically targeting its embattled president, Gianni Infantino. FFF president Philippe Diallo, however, was encouraged to toughen his stance from the outset of this crisis, following discussions with the highest levels of the French government.
Philippe Diallo initially expressed his “questions” and “concerns” in our pages when he discovered the ultimately abandoned plan to sell World Cup shares competition to private investors, following the revelations in The Times on July 28. His was a measured and unscathed statement, reflecting the FFF president’s public demeanor. However, this contrasted sharply with the much more forceful accusations leveled by UEFA, led by Slovenian Aleksander Ceferin. As early as July 29, the European Confederation criticized FIFA for the last world cup tournament, stating that it “can no longer continue to use our sport to enrich itself and its cronies . “
