RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 7 sourcesA controversial plan by Fifa president Gianni Infantino to sell stakes in a World Cup company to private investors has been abandoned , prompting strong criticism of his leadership from Prime Minister Andy Burnham and European football’s governing body, Uefa.
Mr Infantino announced the withdrawal of the proposal after it became clear the initiative had "created divisions" among football’s stakeholders.
The plan had faced significant opposition, with three confederations rejecting it outright, and Uefa going as far as pledging to boycott Fifa competitions until the proposal was scrapped.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham did not mince words regarding Mr Infantino’s suitability for his role.
During a visit to Dover, he stated: "I do not believe that he is the right man to lead football forward on the world stage."
Mr Burnham further elaborated on his concerns, adding: "The plan that was put forward was offensive to many people, football people, around the world, and it can’t be the case that we just move on and forget that, it wasn’t acceptable. And as I say, I don’t believe he’s the right man to lead Fifa forward."
Uefa, while welcoming the decision to drop the proposal, expressed a profound loss of trust in the Fifa chief.
The body described the plan as a "shabby, back room, opaque deal."
"We cannot keep going on like this with secret schemes on fast-track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game. We must identify those responsible and hold them to account," Uefa said, adding that the "current Fifa leadership has not only lost Uefa’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family."
(PA)
The controversy also led to high-level resignations within Fifa, including senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro and chief operating officer Kevin Lamour, who reportedly described the initiative as "a project of one person."
Uefa has committed to working with its associations and other confederations in the coming weeks to "reflect" on how this situation arose and "devise a plan to make sure that it cannot occur again."
They stressed that this review should be "thorough and fundamental," with "no option… off the table."
The abandoned plan would have involved selling stakes in a company responsible for the commercial and operational aspects of major competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups.
Gianni Infantino and US President Donald Trump presenting the World Cup trophy (PA) (PA Wire)
Mr Infantino, in his statement confirming the withdrawal, said: "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."
He concluded by expressing his intent to bring all interested parties together to continue growing football globally.
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