According to the latest report from Sky Sports, UEFA will hold an emergency meeting today after FIFA proposed selling its stake in its competitions.
According to reports, UEFA's 55 member states are considering a boycott of the World Cup. They will hold a meeting this afternoon to discuss how to collectively respond to FIFA's plan to establish a $20 billion independent company to operate its various competitions, with 20% of the shares to be sold to external investors.
The subsidiary (tentatively named FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE)) is primarily invested in by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law. The plans, announced by FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Tuesday, have sparked accusations of a "sale" of football and have drawn widespread criticism both within and outside the sport.
UEFA stated that the proposal "crossed a line that football governing bodies should never cross," while the English Football Association expressed deep concern about the alleged "lack of procedure and governance" and the "obvious substance and principles involved." Several regional governing bodies, including CONCACAF and the AFC, stated that FIFA did not consult with them before announcing the news.
On Wednesday, the Europa Leagues Association, representing more than 1,000 clubs in 31 European countries, issued a statement condemning the proposal. The Premier League, as one of the founding members of Europa Leagues, expressed its "full support" for the statement. Sepp Blatter, who served as FIFA president from 1998 to 2015, also criticized the proposal in an interview, warning that such plans could strip football of its "soul."
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham posted on social media: "Football doesn't belong to investors. It belongs to the fans who come every week, rain or shine, filling the stands and standing on the sidelines." However, some seem to support FIFA's proposal. Czech Football Association President David Trenda stated that the proposal would provide valuable additional funding for grassroots football and infrastructure development.
Gianni Infantino has asked national associations to decide by September 19 whether to support his plan, promising an additional $40 million incentive to encourage them to accept the proposal. He made the offer in a letter to FIFA's 211 member associations, warning that funding for development, grassroots football, and national teams would be significantly reduced if they did not support his plan.
He stated that the establishment of the FFE requires the support of its council and more than 50% of its members, and these plans were proposed after a series of controversies surrounding the World Cup. FIFA decided to suspend Balogun's red card ban after Trump called Infantino, just before the US team's Round of 16 match against Belgium.
This decision has drawn widespread criticism and further fueled accusations that the FIFA president has too close a relationship with Trump, who earlier this year presented Trump with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize. The World Cup's increasing commercialization, such as soaring ticket prices and the introduction of water breaks (to allow for more advertising), has also been widely criticized.
Gianni Infantino stated that critics of this summer's World Cup are "blinded by hatred" and spreading "false rumors." On Monday, he also issued a statement on his own and FIFA's social media accounts, saying they miss all the "joy and happiness" the tournament brought them.
