FIFA President Gianni Infantino has responded in a video to the controversy that his plans to sell World Cup shares has stirred.
The video appears to be a reaction to the uproar surrounding the ‘nuclear bomb’ that the FIFA boss allegedly dropped on football.
Infantino emphasizes that this is a choice and that the plan is not an obligation.
“FIFA Forward Enterprise, or FFE, is essentially a proposal, an offer,” Infantino explained in a FIFA video.
“It is part of a democratic process, a consultation process, and above all, it is a unique opportunity, but not an obligation.
“We care about everyone. The benefits of these investments have been visible for some time. After 10 years of support, countries like Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan have qualified for a World Cup for the first time.”
There is enormous criticism regarding the ‘nuclear bomb’ that the FIFA president is said to have planted under football.
FIFA want to consolidate the commercial rights to future men’s and women’s World Cups, as well as the Club World Cup, and place them in a new subsidiary.
To generate funds, the organisation intends to sell up to 20 percent of the World Cup shares to private investors. This is expected to yield around 3.7 billion euros.
In this way, FIFA believe they can more than double the payouts to national football associations for the next four years: from seven million euros to 17.5 million euros. After that, the amount is expected to increase further.
Infantino with this video attempted to counter criticism of the plan.
For instance, UEFA are considering a possible World Cup boycott.
The FIFA President wants to emphasize once again that FIFA members have a choice, following earlier revelations that he intends to reward countries that agree to the plan more than countries that vote against it.
“We want to help create even more ‘Cape Verdes’. Fans from all four countries and from all corners of the world will benefit from the groundbreaking potential of this plan. Football will change in these countries, but once again: it is a choice for our members,” he concludes
