Fifa president Gianni Infantino has scrapped his plan to sell stakes in the organisation’s competitions to private investors after widespread opposition from major football confederations.
Fifa Boss Backs Down After Uefa, Concacaf Revolt
BBC Sport reports that Fifa president Gianni Infantino has abandoned his controversial plan to sell stakes in the governing body’s competitions to private investors, admitting the project had “created divisions” no longer serving its original purpose. “This proposal will not proceed,” he said.
Infantino had offered Fifa’s 211 member associations $40m if they backed private investment in tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups. But Uefa threatened to boycott World Cups if the plan went ahead, while Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation also voiced opposition.
Fifa’s chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, said the body’s own administration had been “deceived” about the project. Senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned, calling the proposal “a bad deal for football.”
Infantino now faces pressure ahead of his bid for a fourth term as president at Fifa’s Congress in Morocco next March.
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