FIFA has abandoned its controversial plan to sell stakes in a company which would run the commercial and operational aspects of its competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups.
The plan was rejected by three continental confederations with powerhouse UEFA insisting its nations would boycott FIFA events.
In a statement released early on Saturday, FIFA president Gianni 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.
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“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.”
Infantino had proposed creating a $20-billion subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), to run the World Cup and its other events, with a stake of up to 20 per cent to be offered to external investors.
Thrive Eternal, a fund run by Thrive Capital, which is founded by Joshua Kushner, was expected to lead the proposed investor group, FIFA said. Joshua is the brother of Jared Kushner, US president Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
UEFA’s 55-member nations agreed to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions over Infantino’s plan.
North America’s CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation — Australia’s parent body — also opposed it.
“Some things are simply too important to sell,” UEFA said in a statement.
“The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.”
Infantino’s senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned on Friday and urged other senior FIFA staff to speak out.
“I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup,” Cordeiro said in a statement.
FIFA’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said staff were “deceived” by Infantino, describing the proposal as a “project of one person”.
“Our mission … is to serve football. Not to serve the personal interests of a person who, unfortunately, believes he embodies FIFA when he is supposed to be at its service,” he wrote in a statement shared with the Associated Press.
But the backflip might be too late to save Infantino.
Senior football correspondent and talkSPORT commentator Ben Jacobs said there was a “feeling” from football leaders and federations that “Infantino’s position is fast becoming untenable”.
“UEFA have been working behind closed doors to establish whether a viable candidate can be found to challenge Infantino at the next election. Nasser Al-Khelaifi has significant support despite his current unwillingness to stand,” he said
“UEFA sources have told talkSPORT Infantino’s plans are essentially ‘a vote of confidence or no confidence ahead of the FIFA presidential election’ and should FFE not materialise, there will be calls for Infantino to not stand again from senior figures in the game.”
– with Agencies
