Sweden, Denmark and Finland urge EU action over FIFA’s withdrawn FFE project

The football federations of Sweden, Denmark and Finland are asking the European Union to help prevent the “soul of football” from being put up for sale after a controversial FIFA commercial proposal was withdrawn.

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The recent developments within FIFA have caused deep concern.

In a letter to European Sports Commissioner Glenn Micallef, the federation presidents said the recent developments at FIFA had caused “deep concern.” Although the FIFA Forward Enterprise project, known as FFE, was withdrawn, they said the questions it raised remained.

The proposal would have allowed private investors to acquire stakes in FIFA competitions and commercial activities. The Nordic federations said that possibility, combined with what they described as insufficient transparency, consultation and democratic grounding, raised fundamental questions about who ultimately controls the future of world football.

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When fundamental decisions about competitions, institutions and the commercial future of football can be pushed through without sufficient transparency or democratic participation, the very essence of this sport is at stake. Together we must ensure that the soul of football is not put up for sale again.

The letter’s signatories, Ari Lahti of Finland, Jesper Moller of Denmark and Simon Astrom of Sweden, said all the Nordic countries had pointed to weaknesses in FIFA’s governance, transparency and decision-making. “When fundamental decisions about competitions, institutions and the commercial future of football can be pushed through without sufficient transparency or democratic participation, the very essence of this sport is at stake,” they wrote.

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Football cannot demand democratic accountability, transparency and integrity from clubs, leagues and national associations while accepting lower standards at the top of the international game.

They argued that football cannot demand democratic accountability, transparency and integrity from clubs, leagues and national associations while accepting lower standards at the international level. The federations welcomed the European Commission’s support for the European Sports Model and cited the failed 2021 European Super League launch as evidence of what football bodies and European policymakers can achieve by working together. They said recent events showed that such coordination was still needed.

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The FIFA rules must apply equally, and its governing institutions must be able to demonstrate that decisions are made independently, transparently and in the interests of football.