Premier League chief claims Gianni Infantino ‘pressed the self-destruct button’ with World Cup sell-off plan

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has accused embattled Fifa president Gianni Infantino of pressing the "self-destruct button" over collapsed plans to sell World Cup stakes. Infantino is currently fighting to stay in his position following significant backlash over plans to sell a minority share in Fifa tournaments to private investors. Uefa has emerged as his primary opponent, while the Football Association has withdrawn its backing for Infantino. "This is a problem of Fifa’s making," Masters told BBC Sport. "This is a self-inflicted wound. The organisation has pressed the self-destruct button, and the consequences of that flow now into the solutions that need to be found. Masters feels Infantino ‘pressed the self-destruct button’ (PA) "I don’t think Fifa should be ever contemplating selling off a stake in the World Cup. "They’re a not-for-profit organisation. They should really be holding that competition in trust for the future of football. "I think it’s a bad idea, and the FA have taken the right position regards to Gianni [Infantino]." Speaking on a prospective rival to Infantino’s re-election next year, Masters added: "I think an emerging unity candidate should have on his or her agenda reform of Fifa, and perhaps even reform of the president’s role and how it interacts with those things." Infantino faced further criticism earlier on Tuesday following the departure of a top Fifa official who spoke out against him. Kevin Lamour left his position as Fifa’s chief operating officer on Monday, just weeks after he said that Fifa staff had been “deceived” by Infantino’s plans to sell off commercial stakes in the World Cup. Lamour criticised those plans and said Fifa staff “deserve better than contempt and intimidation” after they were left in the dark. He also said he would be able to “sleep well tonight” after speaking out. Lise Klaveness, the head of the Football Association of Norway and a long-time critic of Fifa under Infantino’s leadership, told the Associated Press that she believed Lamour had been fired and criticised those in the Fifa administration for following Infantino’s orders. “Now he is thrown out and we are supposed to move on. It’s unacceptable, it’s management by fear,” Klaveness told the Associated Press. “Now we also have to call upon Fifa leadership and the administration to not submit to orders you know are not in the interests of football.”