UEFA says no to FIFA!
UEFA
Madrid, Jul 30 (EFE).-
UEFA announced that its national federations will not participate in FIFA competitions following a meeting held this Thursday to evaluate the world football governing body’s proposal to create a subsidiary to commercialize its events, including the World Cup.
“UEFA and its 55 member associations stand as one. We unanimously and unequivocally reject FIFA’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors,” the organization stated.
According to UEFA, “The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product,” it further highlighted that the event is “one of football’s greatest sporting legacies,” and it asserted that “the World Cup is not for sale.”
UEFA condemned the lack of transparency surrounding FIFA’s proposal, arguing that pushing such a significant change forward without input from football stakeholders is both “irresponsible and indefensible”
By asserting that the plan was “conceived in secret” without meaningful consultation, UEFA framed the move as a serious leadership failure, effectively characterizing FIFA’s actions as an “abdication of FIFA’s duty” as the global steward of the game.
“As a result of today’s discussion, no UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive, unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that FIFA will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership,” declared the organization chaired by Alexander Ceferin.
It concluded that “Some things are simply too important to sell. The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.”
Other confederations joined UEFA’s criticism, including the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and theConfederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), whose presidents, Bahrain’s Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa and Canadian Victor Montagliani, respectively, are also FIFA vice-presidents and members of the FIFA Council tasked with voting on the proposal. EFE
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