Milan, 29 July (LaPresse) – UEFA is not the only organisation to have expressed opposition to FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s proposal to set up a company to raise private investment, officially earmarked for the development of football, but there are fears that this could affect the organisation of events such as the World Cup. The Football Association (FA) has stated it is “deeply concerned” about FIFA’s plan to sell stakes in its major competitions, and UEFA’s 55 member nations are set to hold an emergency meeting by the end of the week, amid growing outrage over the proposals. According to the BBC, it is emerging that leading figures in the world of football, including at least two of FIFA’s eight vice-presidents, were not consulted regarding Infantino’s plans. An FA spokeswoman said: “We were completely in the dark about this proposal and do not have any substantive details, including the actual content of the proposal and the conditions attached to it.” CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America and hosted this summer’s World Cup, is also concerned about these developments. “We are deeply concerned about the lack of due process,” the organisation said in a statement. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), based in Kuala Lumpur, also said it was “disappointed that a matter of such importance has become public knowledge before the AFC family had been given the opportunity to examine and discuss it”. The continental bodies that organise their own international club and national team competitions – such as the Champions League, the European Championship and the Copa América – are likely to see their events threatened by FIFA, which aims to boost revenue and value for investors by holding the World Cup and men’s and women’s Club World Cups more frequently. If Infantino’s plan is rejected, members will still receive the $10 million previously promised over the next four years, as specified by the FIFA president himself in a letter to the various confederations.
Everyone is against Infantino and the FFE project: from the English FA to CONCACAF
Milan, 29 July (LaPresse) – UEFA is not the only organisation to have expressed opposition to FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s proposal to set up a company to raise private investment, officially earmarked for the development of football, but there are fears that this could affect the organisation of events such as the World Cup. The Football Association (FA) has stated it is “deeply concerned” about FIFA’s plan to sell stakes in its major competitions, and UEFA’s 55 member nations are set to hold an emergency meeting by the end of the week, amid growing outrage over the proposals. According to the BBC, it is emerging that leading figures in the world of football, including at least two of FIFA’s eight vice-presidents, were not consulted regarding Infantino’s plans. An FA spokeswoman said: “We were completely in the dark about this proposal and do not have any substantive details, including the actual content of the proposal and the conditions attached to it.” CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America and hosted this summer’s World Cup, is also concerned about these developments. “We are deeply concerned about the lack of due process,” the organisation said in a statement. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), based in Kuala Lumpur, also said it was “disappointed that a matter of such importance has become public knowledge before the AFC family had been given the opportunity to examine and discuss it”. The continental bodies that organise their own international club and national team competitions – such as the Champions League, the European Championship and the Copa América – are likely to see their events threatened by FIFA, which aims to boost revenue and value for investors by holding the World Cup and men’s and women’s Club World Cups more frequently. If Infantino’s plan is rejected, members will still receive the $10 million previously promised over the next four years, as specified by the FIFA president himself in a letter to the various confederations.
