FIFA World Cup: FIFA president Gianni Infantino is reportedly facing the prospect of a no-confidence motion from UEFA after world football's governing body was forced to abandon its controversial proposal to sell a stake in the commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup and other competitions.
The latest development comes amid growing scrutiny of FIFA's leadership following the withdrawal of the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project, which had drawn strong opposition from UEFA, several continental confederations and senior figures within FIFA itself.
According to a report in The Telegraph, UEFA is prepared to trigger an emergency no-confidence vote against Infantino if he does not resign, with all 55 of the European governing body's member associations understood to be willing to support his removal. Under FIFA's statutes, UEFA can reportedly initiate such a motion with the backing of 43 member associations.
UEFA on Saturday welcomed FIFA's decision to scrap the proposal but launched a scathing attack on the organisation's leadership and governance.
In a strongly-worded statement, UEFA said FIFA's plan to sell a stake in its competitions, including the World Cup, into private hands had been unanimously rejected by its member associations and opposed by football stakeholders across the globe.
Describing the withdrawal as ‘a victory for the whole game’, UEFA also declared that "football is not for sale" and thanked fans, clubs, leagues, players, national associations, confederations and political leaders who opposed the proposal.
The European body further claimed that the current FIFA leadership had "not only lost UEFA's confidence but also that of many other members of the football family", while accusing Infantino of failing to uphold his promises of transparency made when he was elected FIFA president in 2016.
The controversy centres around FIFA's proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a new commercial entity that would have managed the commercial rights of major FIFA competitions while allowing outside investors to acquire an equity stake. FIFA argued the initiative could significantly increase development funding for its member associations.
Infantino formally withdrew the proposal on Saturday, saying consultations had made it clear that the project had created divisions that were no longer in the best interests of football.
The controversy centres around FIFA's proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a new commercial entity that would have managed the commercial rights of major FIFA competitions while allowing outside investors to acquire an equity stake. FIFA argued the initiative could significantly increase development funding for its member associations.
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The proposal had also prompted opposition from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), CONCACAF and several FIFA stakeholders. Former FIFA senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned in protest, while reports also suggested concerns had been raised internally over the project's transparency.