FIFA president Gianni Infantino has issued an apology for the "mistakes made" in the contentious proposal to sell the World Cup.
First public acknowledgement
Infantino co-signed a letter with FIFA's Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom, marking his first public acknowledgement of wrongdoing since announcing and subsequently withdrawing the widely condemned World Cup investment scheme.
The Swiss plan was rejected by three continental confederations before it was withdrawn, and led to UEFA threatening to boycott FIFA competitions until it was scrapped.
Letter acknowledges errors
The letter states: "We acknowledge that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media."
"We sincerely apologise for these errors and commit to them not happening again," it adds. "With this in mind, we will conduct a necessary review, and a report will be presented to the FIFA Council at its next scheduled meeting."
Despite mounting calls for Infantino to resign as FIFA president, the letter confirms that Grafstrom and FIFA's Management Board "reaffirm their full support" for the chief.
Meeting in Morocco
The letter was published following a gathering with FIFA board members in Barat, Morocco on Wednesday. The document states that following the meeting, they hope to "help restore confidence in the organisation" and "continue to develop the game around the world".
It further states that in the wake of the plan's withdrawal, the organisation will "no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity".
Infantino was pictured smiling at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations in the aftermath of the emergency board meeting.
Position under pressure
The letter refutes any suggestion of impropriety in the plan, asserting it breached no regulations, thereby seeking to strengthen Infantino's position as president despite the global demands for his resignation.
The emergency discussions were triggered as his presidency appears increasingly vulnerable, with UEFA and CONCACAF - the governing body for North and Central America and the Caribbean - both demanding Infantino's departure. For the president to be removed, 106 nations must support the motion.
