Zurich: The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has expressed approval of FIFA's recent decision to retract its plan to sell a stake in its competitions, including the World Cup, to private entities.
According to Qatar News Agency, UEFA emphasized that the proposal faced unanimous opposition from its national associations and numerous other federations and confederations worldwide, all tasked with safeguarding the integrity of football. UEFA released a statement affirming its commitment to collaborating with global partners and stakeholders to devise a new strategy for resource distribution via the existing FIFA Forward programme.
This development transpired after FIFA's decision to shelve the project, which had also drawn criticism from the Asian Football Confederation. Concerns were raised by various federations regarding the implications of the proposal. FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced on Saturday that the organization was withdrawing from the plan to invite private sector investment into football's governing body. This decision followed widespread criticism and apprehensions about the commercialization of football and potential conflicts of interest.
Infantino acknowledged that the project had fostered divisions, detracting from its original purpose. His reversal coincides with additional pressures facing FIFA, including the recent resignation of its chief advisor, Carlos Cordeiro. FIFA had previously unveiled an unexpected plan to boost football development funding to USD 10 billion over the next four years. However, the plan encountered significant criticism concerning its content and presentation.