UEFA maintain World Cup boycott threat despite FIFA president Gianni Infantino apology
UEFA continues to threaten a boycott of FIFA competitions, stating that FIFA's apology regarding the controversial 'FIFA Forward Enterprise' project is insufficient. UEFA members remain dissatisfied with the lack of guarantees against future attempts to sell off major competitions and maintain a lack of confidence in Gianni Infantino's leadership.
Why it matters
The ongoing rift between the world's governing body for football and its most powerful confederation threatens the stability and future structure of international football.
This defiant stance comes despite a public apology from FIFA and Infantino for the controversial proposal to sell off stakes in the tournament to private investors. FIFA and secretary general Mattias Grafstrom released a joint statement on Wednesday evening admitting that the process behind the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project was flawed. "We acknowledge mistakes were made in the process of the proposed establishment of FFE," the letter stated. "It was certainly not the intention for the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations to feel excluded from the process and it should have been handled differently."
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