Gianni Infantino says his FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal to welcome private investment in their competitions will not proceed due to the division it has created within football. The U-Turn comes after widespread outrage about their project, with UEFA voting to boycott World Cups and the Football Association speaking out strongly against the the process.
Infantino said: “Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place. Our purpose has always been — and will always be — to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed.”
“Moving forward, my intent is to bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks in the spirit of shared interest in our game, and with the objective to continue growing football everywhere, particularly in those countries that mostly need our support.”
Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa welcomed the withdrawal after the FIFA’s president statement late on Friday night, saying: “The future of global football must always be shaped through proper consultation, collective dialogue and respect for the established governance structures of our game. The AFC stands ready to support any initiative that strengthens the unity of the football family, contributes to the continued growth of the game globally and delivers meaningful benefits to all stakeholders.”