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UEFA slams FIFA's 'secret plans,' demands accountability after World Cup share sale U-turn
🇸🇪 Sweden /Sports

UEFA slams FIFA's 'secret plans,' demands accountability after World Cup share sale U-turn

From Dagens Nyheter · () Swedish

Translated from Swedish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Analysis Named sources Context piece
  • FIFA President Gianni Infantino's plan to sell World Cup commercial shares to private investors has drawn strong criticism, particularly from UEFA.
  • UEFA condemned the "secret plans" and demanded accountability for those responsible, highlighting a breach of transparency promises made by Infantino.
  • The proposal, which aimed to raise billions, was quickly retracted after backlash, but UEFA insists on a thorough investigation into how it was conceived.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino's controversial plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors has triggered a significant backlash, most notably from UEFA, the governing body for European football.

We cannot continue like this with secret plans carried out at breakneck speed, drawn up by anonymous individuals and whose benefit to the sport is questionable. We must identify those responsible and hold them to account.

— UEFA statementCondemning FIFA's secret plan to sell World Cup shares and demanding accountability.

The proposal, which reportedly aimed to raise approximately 40 billion Swedish kronor (around $4 billion) from investors, faced immediate and fierce opposition. UEFA issued a strong statement expressing satisfaction that the plan was withdrawn but vowed to hold those responsible accountable. "We cannot continue like this with secret plans carried out at breakneck speed, drawn up by anonymous individuals and whose benefit to the sport is questionable. We must identify those responsible and hold them to account," the statement read.

UEFA criticized the "shady behind-the-scenes deal" orchestrated by Infantino, contrasting it with his 2016 promise to lead a more transparent FIFA. The European football confederation pointed out that FIFA already possesses substantial reserves, exceeding 50 billion Swedish kronor, making the sale of assets seem unnecessary and potentially driven by motives other than the sport's development.

The current FIFA management has lost the trust not only of UEFA but of many members of the football family.

— UEFA statementExpressing a loss of confidence in FIFA's leadership.

Infantino, who succeeded Sepp Blatter amid corruption scandals, has been accused of increasingly resembling authoritarian leaders by silencing critics and journalists. The retracted plan, which involved figures linked to former US President Donald Trump, has further fueled concerns about FIFA's governance and transparency. UEFA has announced it will work with member federations to investigate the origins of the proposal, emphasizing that rebuilding trust within the football world is a long-term task.

We must use some of the money in FIFA's bank account for the development of football. We don't need to sell our family heirlooms to pay the price.

— UEFA statementArguing against selling assets and advocating for the use of existing funds for football development.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dagens Nyheter in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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