Ceferin says FIFA investment plan left trust damaged
The UEFA president called for unity, transparency and decision-making that serves the wider game after FIFA abandoned a private investment proposal.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin says trust in world football has not recovered after FIFA dropped a plan to sell private investors a 20 per cent stake in its commercial rights. He made the remarks in a video address to the Portugal Football Summit, his first public comments since FIFA president Gianni Infantino proposed a review of the governing body’s decision-making.
Ceferin said trust depended on unity, transparency and governance serving the wider game. He did not name FIFA or Infantino, but his comments appeared to refer to the investment proposal.
FIFA abandoned the plan in July after opposition from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF. The proposal covered commercial rights including those for the World Cup.
Infantino has said he will ask the FIFA Council whether it wants to commission an independent external review of governance for major strategic initiatives. He proposed consulting confederations, member associations and other stakeholders.
The review could examine the roles of FIFA’s president, bureau, council and congress, as well as ways to strengthen transparency and accountability. Whether the council will commission it remains undecided.
