UEFA hails win over FIFA, questions U-turn and trust | OneFootball

According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, hours after FIFA dropped plans to sell World Cup stakes to private investors, UEFA hailed a win in its stand-off with Gianni Infantino’s body, though it believes the row is not over.

UEFA welcomed broad resistance, from fans and leagues to clubs, players and politicians, and framed it as proof that football is not for sale. The confederation had threatened a boycott by its members of any FIFA competition had the project not been withdrawn.

Even so, UEFA did not take individual credit and cast the retreat as a step back rather than a final decision. The proposal had already been put on the table and its stance was backed by all 55 member associations.

It accused Infantino of breaking transparency pledges made on becoming FIFA president after arriving from UEFA, labelling the plan closed-door and opaque. Five billion dollars in FIFA reserves were cited as not being used for the good of the game.

There was a rejection of secret, fast-tracked plans, including a two-month deadline for federations to accept an offer that promised to multiply revenues. The current FIFA leadership was judged to have lost UEFA’s trust. Aleksander Ceferin suggested a betrayal of European football and many in the football family, and signalled he would seek distribution of money idling in FIFA’s account to all 211 FIFA countries without selling the family jewels.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo