Fifa president Gianni Infantino has announced that he will scrap his controversial plan to sell off stakes in major competitions, following widespread opposition from European football’s member associations.
Infantino had offered all 211 member associations $40m (£30m) if they backed a proposal for private investment in its tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups. However, the Swiss added that this proposal would not proceed due to “divisions” created by it that are no longer in the interest of its original objective.
The plan had been met with fierce opposition from European football’s 55 member associations, who voted on Thursday to boycott World Cups if the plans went ahead. The move was supported by Concacaf, which governs football in North, Central America and the Caribbean, as well as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which said it stood in “solidarity” with Uefa and Concacaf.
The European governing body had also expressed concerns about the proposal’s potential impact on the financial sustainability of the World Cup. The plan was seen by some as a way for external investors to buy stakes in Fifa, potentially leading to changes in the governance structure of the organization.
Infantino’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said that the governing body’s own administration had been “deceived” about the project. Carlos Cordeiro – Infantino’s senior adviser on global strategy and governance – resigned over the matter, saying the proposal was a bad deal for football and would mortgage its future.
The controversy surrounding the plan has led to significant pressure on Infantino as he seeks re-election for a fourth term at the Fifa Congress in March. Despite initial assurances from FIFA that nobody was selling football, the governing body’s own administration had become increasingly opposed to the proposal.
Infantino said he now intends to “bring all interested parties back together” in the spirit of shared interest in football. He acknowledged that his plans were unlikely to pass and expressed regret for any divisions created by them.
The decision not to proceed with Infantino’s plan has significant implications for FIFA, which relies heavily on revenue from its World Cup tournaments. The governing body is now expected to focus on finding alternative ways to increase funding for the organization.
Infantino’s actions have been widely criticized as a power grab by some of his own members. Uefa and Concacaf had both expressed opposition to the plan, with Concacaf stating that it would “reject” any proposal that led to changes in its governance structure.
The decision not to proceed with Infantino’s plan has also raised questions about the future of FIFA as a governing body for football. The organization is now expected to focus on finding alternative ways to increase funding and improve the financial sustainability of its World Cup tournaments.
Source: BBC Top Stories
Based on reporting from BBC Top Stories.
