RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 5 sourcesFILE PHOTO - FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the DAZN pre-match interview ahead of the Club World Cup final soccer match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain at Metlife Stadium. Sven Hoppe/dpa
European governing body UEFA will hold an emergency meeting later on Thursday to deal with plans from FIFA to bring private investors into its events led by the World Cup.
Sources told dpa that the meeting also reported by other media is scheduled for the afternoon.
UEFA has condemned the plans which FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended late Wednesday and which have drawn mixed reactions from other confederations.
Germany's Bild paper said leading officials including German Football Federation (DFB) president Bernd Neuendorf discussed the FIFA plans via a UEFA video call on Wednesday.
"We must not lose the fans’ support, but we are well on the way to squandering that support. I consider this to be extremely problematic and unacceptable," Neuendorf told broadcasters ZDF.
The FIFA plan
FIFA had announced on Tuesday that private investors could acquire about 20% of a new subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, initially valued at $20 billion.
The company would hold commercial rights and operate FIFA competitions including the men's and women's World Cups and the Club World Cup.
Critics have accused FIFA of trying to secure support through lucrative payments and described the plan as bribery, blackmail and a sell-off of the sport.
They fear the deal could lead to more tournaments, teams and matches to increase revenue and boost the value of investors' stakes.
The deadline
Infantino has reportedly pledged in a letter to the 211 member federations, who must approve the plan, that they will receive $40 million each, with an initial payment of $20 million, if they endorse it by September 19.
The money is to come from a funding package of $10 billion.
UEFA, which had condemned the plans from the outset, said on the deadline reports: “Today we have learned of FIFA’s deadline to associations to support their proposals or have the one-off payout offer withdrawn. This says everything you need to know about this plan.
It added that talks with many stakeholders showed that "there is significant and growing opposition to FIFA’s scheme. FIFA cannot continue to use our sport to enrich themselves and their friends."
Boycott threat and the Czech stance
There is also speculation that UEFA, which provided six of the eight quarter-finalists and eventual champions Spain at the recent World Cup, could even boycott FIFA events.
Czech FA president David Trunda has however said in an interview with Sky TV he could see a “positive impact.”
“I can see the pragmatic benefits for Czech football from working in close co-operation with Gianni Infantino and his team. I was elected a little more than a year ago and for me personally all the projects I have experienced in co-operation with FIFA have been very positive for the development of European football.
“Of course we need more details, but my personal point of view is that I can see the positive impact of FIFA’s intentions,” he said.
Other confederations
The Asian confederation and CONCACAF, which governs the North and Central American and Caribbean region, mainly criticised they weren't consulted and a lack of due process.
African body CAF said it would an executive committee meeting next week to look into the FIFA proposal.
"CAF is committed to continue consulting and working together with its Member Associations, FIFA, other Football Confederations and stakeholders in support of increasing financial and other resources for the development and growth of football in Africa and worldwide," it said.
Infantino's defence
Infantino defended the plans in a video message released on Wednesday evening, naming multibillion-dollar project a "golden opportunity to turbocharge the development of the game globally."
Infantino rejected the criticism, saying the proposal was "part of a democratic process" and would require approval from a majority of the FIFA members as well as from the FIFA Council.
The proposal is expected to attract support from smaller member associations, many of which hope it will lead to a significant increase in revenue.
"Too little of football's growing commercial value reaches the parts of the game that need it most," he said, arguing that additional expertise was needed to unlock that value.
He also sought to reassure supporters, saying: "The sport they watch and love will not change."
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