Football: After massive resistance: FIFA abandons investor plans

FIFA’s plans around the powerful President Infantino had envisaged bringing in billions of dollars from the potential sale of part of their commercial rights, for example to the World Cup. To implement this, FIFA wanted to establish the subsidiary FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). According to reports, she gave the associations a deadline of September 19th to give their consent and promised special payments in return. All of that is now off the table.

Infantino: “Bringing sport back together”

Infantino went on to explain that FIFA’s goal is to always unite and improve. “Therefore, this proposal will not be pursued further.” It is his intention in the coming days and weeks to bring all interested parties “back together in the spirit of common interest in our sport, with the aim of further advancing football everywhere, especially in those countries that need our support most.”

With the project he wanted to strengthen the member associations. In any case, it would only have been implemented if a majority had approved the project, he explained in the statement.

UEFA threatened to boycott the World Cup

FIFA bowed to the pressure that had increased in recent days. The European UEFA had not only heavily criticized the plans, but had even threatened to boycott the World Cup take part in any FIFA competition as long as these proposals continue to exist,” UEFA announced after an emergency meeting.

Concacaf, which is responsible for North and Central America and the Caribbean, and the Asian football governing body AFC also clearly distanced themselves from Infantino and his plans. The South American football association Conmebol, however, initially did not take a substantive position and stated that it would continue to examine the plans and requested additional information from FIFA.

In addition, support for Boss Infantino also crumbled within FIFA. FIFA operations director Kevin Lamour accused Infantino of betraying employees. Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to the 56-year-old, resigned in protest against the plans. He wrote on LinkedIn that, as a former banker and lifelong football fan, he “cannot stand idly by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup.”

International press sees defeat for Infantino and FIFA

The international press viewed the withdrawal from the plans as a defeat for FIFA and Infantino. The English “Daily Mail” spoke of an “embarrassing turnaround” and a “humiliating defeat” for Infantino, while the Spanish “As” wrote of a “global setback” for the FIFA president. “El País” judged that football, with its millions of fans, had triumphed over external actors and FIFA had lost.

<pclass=”tspADdy”>The Swiss “Blick” saw an “unusual retreat” from a president “who in recent years has mostly been able to push through his plans without major resistance”. The French “L’Equipe” attested that the world association was in crisis, while the Italian “Gazzetta dello Sport” welcomed the abandonment of the investor plans with the words “Reason has prevailed”.

Burnham to replace Infantino

With his about-face, it could now be difficult for Infantino to stay at the top of the world football association. After the plans became known, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham openly spoke out in favor of replacing Infantino. The Swiss was “the wrong man” at the head of the world association, said the new head of government.

UEFA Vice-President Laura McAllister said on Sky News that the global consensus against the proposals sends a clear signal to FIFA about what is important to players, fans, clubs and officials in the future. “I hope that this is a wake-up call for the President and FIFA to take these tasks far more seriously than they seem to have done so far.”

Infantino is also under pressure over another matter: He came under heavy criticism during the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico because of a ban on US striker Folarin Balogun that was withdrawn at the call of US President Donald Trump. This made it possible for the player to be used in the round of 16 – an extremely unusual procedure. According to FIFA, the controversial decision was made by the formally independent disciplinary committee.