Gianni Infantino says FIFA have scrapped World Cup investment plan
FIFA “will not proceed” with plans to sell stakes in a company which would run the commercial and operational aspects of its competitions, a statement from president Gianni Infantino said.
The plan, which would include the men’s and women’s World Cups, has been rejected by three continental confederations with UEFA insisting its nations would boycott FIFA events.
In a statement released early on Saturday, Infantino said: “The FIFA Forward Enterprise project was intended to provide a basis for further strengthening our FIFA Member Associations and our sport worldwide, especially in those countries where support is most needed.
“And more so, as we said from the outset, to do this only if a majority of the FIFA Member Associations were in support and always subject to a consultation process with them, the FIFA Council, the Confederations and wider stakeholders.
“Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place.
“Our purpose has always been – and will always be – to unite and improve.
“As a result, this proposal will not proceed.
“Moving forward, my intent is to bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks in the spirit of shared interest in our game, and with the objective to continue growing football everywhere, particularly in those countries that mostly need our support.”
The plans led to the resignation of Infantino’s senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro, while another senior FIFA official, chief operating officer Kevin Lamour, released a statement to the Associated Press on Friday afternoon describing it as “a project of one person”.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham added his voice to the debate on Friday when he said: “This was an outrageous suggestion.
“The idea that it could even be brought forward shows that, in my view, (Infantino) is the wrong man to lead the organisation.”
FIFA’s proposal involved the creation of FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) to manage its competitions, with the most controversial aspect of the plan being the intention to sell a 20 per cent stake to private investors.
Thrive Eternal, a company founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of United States President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has been earmarked as the lead investor. It has so far declined to comment on the matter.
The president said on Friday he did not speak to Infantino about the proposal.
Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa welcomed the proposal’s withdrawal and said any initiatives need to follow “proper consultation, collective dialogue and respect for the established governance structures of our game”.
He said in a statement: “The AFC stands ready to support any initiative that strengthens the unity of the football family, contributes to the continued growth of the game globally and delivers meaningful benefits to all stakeholders.”
As well as UEFA’s boycott and the rejection from CONCACAF, which represents countries from North America, Central America and the Caribbean, the AFC had called for an “urgent review” of FIFA’s governance and decision-making framework.
South American confederation CONMEBOL said it had “requested additional information and clarification”.
Published: by Radio NewsHub