LONDON : UEFA said the withdrawal of the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal alone was not enough to resolve the dispute, insisting that the conditions set by its member associations had still not been fully met.
UEFA’s position was that the controversial proposals involving FIFA’s major competitions had to be withdrawn and firm assurances provided that similar attempts would not be made again. The European governing body has also said it has lost confidence in Infantino’s presidency, leaving the prospect of European nations refusing to participate in future FIFA competitions on the table.
The dispute centres on FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a proposed FIFA-controlled company that would consolidate commercial rights and event operations across FIFA competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups. Under the original proposal, private investors could acquire a stake in the business.
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Infantino had also proposed a major financial incentive for FIFA’s 211 member associations, with each potentially receiving $40 million if they backed the plan. The offer intensified criticism of the proposal and its approval process.
UEFA strongly opposed the project, criticising the manner in which it had been developed and describing the proposed arrangement as secretive and lacking transparency. Its 55 national associations had earlier unanimously rejected transferring ownership interests in FIFA competitions to private investors.
FIFA subsequently abandoned the private-investment proposal amid mounting international opposition. The governing body has acknowledged mistakes surrounding the process and conceded that member associations should not have felt excluded and that the matter should have been handled differently.
However, the reversal has failed to end the crisis surrounding Infantino, with UEFA maintaining that its confidence in the FIFA president has not been restored and that stronger guarantees over the future governance of world football are still required.
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