European nations vow FIFA World Cup boycott over Infantino private equity plan, CONCACAF joins in opposition
'Some things are simply too important to sell,' says UEFA in statement
FIFA President Gianni Infantino's plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors was hit hard Thursday by his former colleagues at UEFA, who agreed to boycott all the global soccer body's competitions in protest.
asserted
who → vow → protest
"UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions," the European soccer body said after an urgent online meeting of its 55 member nations.
asserted
body → participate → nations
The next scheduled FIFA tournament is within weeks in Europe — the Women's Under-20 World Cup hosted by Poland from Sept. 5.
asserted
tournament → schedule → Sept.
"Some things are simply too important to sell," UEFA said in a statement.
asserted
UEFA → sell → statement
"The FIFA World Cup belongs to football.
asserted
Cup → belong → football
And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale."
asserted
it → have → sale
The strategy meeting was called to counter Infantino's offer of $20 million US to each of FIFA's 211 global members that has to be accepted by mid-September.
asserted
that → call → September
Later Thursday, the 41-member Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) met and announced it rejected Infantino's plan.
asserted
it → meet → plan
In a statement, CONCACAF said members "expressed deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies."
asserted
members → say → bodies
It also questioned the need for outside investment "following the most profitable FIFA World Cup in history."
asserted
It → question → history
Infantino's secret project was revealed Tuesday to spin off its commercial operations in a new $20 billion subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) 20 per cent owned by private investors.
asserted
project → reveal → investors
The core investor would be a New York investment firm created by Joshua Kushner, the brother of U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
asserted
investor → create → law
Infantino wrote Tuesday to the 211 members — already the effective owners of FIFA as a non-profit association under Swiss law — that if they approve FFE their promised $10 million basic funding for the next four years will double to $20 million.
asserted
funding → write → million
He projected their FIFA funding through 2038 would be $86 million each, instead of about $36 million.
asserted
funding → project → million
," said UEFA, where Infantino was a long-time staffer and its CEO-like general secretary when he was first elected to lead FIFA in 2016.
asserted
he → say → 2016
Infantino's high-stakes financial gambit now could threaten his previously secure 11-year presidency of FIFA as anger and frustration with him rises among soccer stakeholders including three of the six continental bodies.
uncertain
anger → threaten → bodies
FIFA has set a Nov. 18 deadline for potential candidates to declare in a presidential vote of the 211 members scheduled next March in Rabat, Morocco.
asserted
candidates → set → Rabat
Infantino had seemed — 11 days ago after the World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey — to have a clear path to being re-elected unopposed for a fourth and final term in office through 2031.
asserted
Infantino → seem → 2031
Soccer officials have said privately Infantino eyes a commissioner-like role at the FIFA Forward Enterprise spinoff beyond 2031.
asserted
Infantino → say → 2031
"Game over, Gianni .InfantinOUT," the Football Supporters Europe group, which advises UEFA on fan issues such as ticket prices, posted after the boycott threat.
asserted
which → advise → threat
Soccer's concern at investor pressure
UEFA detailed Thursday why soccer officials fear external investors owning a stake of the global game's biggest events, including World Cups and Club World Cups for men and women.
asserted
investors → detail → men
"The moment external investors acquire ownership interests in FIFA competitions, football changes forever," UEFA said.
asserted
UEFA → acquire → competitions
"Commercial return becomes a permanent obligation.
asserted
return → become → ?
Investor expectations become a daily pressure."
asserted
expectations → become → ?
Infantino has presented the private equity offer as a chance to "turbocharge" funding development of soccer across the world, where a majority of the 211 FIFA members rely on its funding.
asserted
majority → present → funding
Officials from about 40 UEFA member spoke at the urgent meeting, with anger expressed that FIFA is not using some of its multi-billion reserves to fund extra development programs.
"
asserted
FIFA → speak → programs
As a result of today's discussion, no UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive," the European soccer body said, "unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that FIFA will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership."
asserted
FIFA → participate → ownership
The Aporia
