UEFA is set to withdraw its threat to boycott FIFA competitions after receiving assurances that there will be no repeat of plans to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
The issue is expected to be discussed by UEFA’s executive committee at a meeting in Monaco, after the European football governing body earlier this month maintained that the conditions for ending its proposed boycott had not been met, despite FIFA President Gianni Infantino abandoning the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprises proposal following widespread opposition.
UEFA had demanded assurances that similar attempts to introduce private ownership into football would not be made again.
Infantino had previously informed FIFA’s member associations that the proposal was no longer being pursued and apologized for what he described as errors.
If UEFA formally withdraws its boycott threat, next month’s Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland is expected to go ahead as scheduled.
England, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and hosts Poland are among the six European teams due to participate in the tournament.
UEFA has been at the forefront of the opposition to Infantino’s plans and is expected to continue pushing for changes to FIFA’s leadership and governance.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has previously said he expects Infantino either to resign or face a challenge from another candidate during FIFA’s presidential elections in March.
Also Read: UEFA threatens World Cup boycott over Infantino’s investment plan
A source close to the discussions said lifting the boycott threat should not be viewed as a retreat by UEFA. The source said UEFA’s opposition to FIFA’s leadership would continue, but that European football officials did not want young players to lose the opportunity to compete in a major international tournament.
Last month, all 55 UEFA member associations voted to boycott FIFA competitions unless the FIFA Forward Enterprises proposal was completely withdrawn and binding guarantees were provided against future attempts to introduce private ownership into FIFA’s governance or competitions.
UEFA and FIFA have been approached for comment on the latest development. Meanwhile, UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said she would not support a boycott of the Under-20 Women’s World Cup.
Nandy argued that sporting boycotts could unfairly punish athletes and competitors who had no responsibility for the issues prompting such actions.
She called instead for football stakeholders to resolve their differences, improve leadership and ensure that the sport remains focused on its supporters and players.
The dispute has also divided former footballers, with some calling for significant changes at the top of FIFA while others have publicly backed Infantino.
Former Manchester United and France defender Mikael Silvestre recently published a statement titled “Enough is Enough!”, arguing that change was necessary at FIFA.
The statement was shared on social media by England defender Lucy Bronze, France’s 1998 World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit and former England goalkeeper David James.
However, a separate group of former international stars subsequently expressed support for Infantino. Brazil World Cup-winning captain Cafu, former Italy striker Christian Vieri, former Portugal captain Pepe and ex-Argentina international Esteban Cambiasso were among those who posted supportive messages.
The former players are recognized as FIFA Legends, an official group associated with the world football governing body.
Vieri said FIFA and Infantino had helped increase representation for players over the past decade and expressed support for what he described as the continued development of the game worldwide.
BBC
