Sports Desk, July 29 (EFE)
Numerous organizations, federations and leaders of international football expressed their “concern about the lack of transparency and information” regarding FIFA’s intentions to open the door to private capital to finance its major tournaments through the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project.
The world’s top football governing body and its president, Gianni Infantino, are at the center of controversy after an idea was revealed with which FIFA maintains it will expand funding for football development to more than $10 billion for its 211 member associations.
The first criticisms came from UEFA, even before FIFA itself confirmed its plan, asserting that Infantino’s intention was to cross a line that “should never be crossed.” “None of us own football. It is not up to FIFA to sell it,” warned the organization on Tuesday, headed by Slovenian Alexander Ceferin, vice president and member of the FIFA Council that must approve the idea.
Criticism for lack of transparency
Following UEFA’s statement, other organizations and federations have also expressed their discontent with the lack of transparency and information in the process that FIFA intends to carry out.
“Concacaf only became aware of this matter through information published by the media and, subsequently, through a press release,” lamented the organization that brings together the football associations of North, Central America and the Caribbean.
Along these lines, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) criticized FIFA, stating that initiatives of the “magnitude and significance” of creating a subsidiary to market its events “must be based on the principles of good governance, transparency and substantial consultation.”
This wave of criticism was also joined by the English Football Association (FA), which expressed “concern” about the lack of governance and transparency, as well as the president of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo, regarding Infantino’s project to open the organization to private investors, about which he has “no details,” which “raises many questions” and which has been developed without the federations “having been involved.”
On social media, various figures criticized FIFA’s plans, including the European Commissioner for Sport, Glenn Micallef, who said that “this is not baseball” and asked them to “keep their hands off football,” and Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, who denounced that “Infantino is not the solution to FIFA’s governance because he mixes politics, money, and power without transparency.”
For his part, former FIFA president Joseph Blatter lamented that “the close relationship between the FIFA president and the US president has reached a financial dimension that deeply damages football.”
European club associations also raised their voices today. The EFC (European Football Clubs), chaired by Qatari Nasser Al-Khelaifi and representing 850 clubs, expressed “serious concern” about the unilateral leak of a matter not previously discussed with them and demanded a thorough consultation with all parties involved regarding everything that affects the football ecosystem.
“The World Cup is not just any commercial asset. It is a global sporting institution built over generations thanks to the collective contribution of the entire football ecosystem,” emphasized the Union of European Football Clubs (UEC), which represents more than 150 professional clubs across Europe.
FIFA’s plans
FIFA confirmed on Tuesday that it intends to expand funding for football development to more than $10 billion through FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a new subsidiary it owns and controls to consolidate the organization’s commercial and events operations.
As explained in a statement, the initiative announced this Tuesday is subject to the approval of its 211 member associations and, if approved, would allocate approximately $20 million per association in exceptional and immediate funding for special projects of the new FIFA Fast-Forward Programme (FFFP) and $20 million per association in funds from the Forward programme for the period 2027-2030 (currently budgeted at $8 million).
According to the British newspaper “The Times,” FIFA has given each of its 211 member nations 53 days to accept the $53 million offer they are making in exchange for accepting the new proposal regarding the World Cup. If they reject it, they will receive 75% less money.
The initiative echoes a similar proposal launched in April 2018, when Infantino promoted a $25 billion injection over 12 years alongside the Japanese fund SoftBank and a consortium of Asian and Middle Eastern investors to create new competitions, including an expanded Club World Cup.
That project was rejected, as on this occasion, following strong opposition from UEFA and the main continental leagues, who considered the value of their strategic assets, such as the Champions League and the European Championship, to be at risk.
