Former Arsenal manager and FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Arsene Wenger, has welcomed FIFA’s decision to abandon President Gianni Infantino’s controversial proposal to sell a stake in the FIFA World Cup, describing the move as “absolutely necessary.”
Wenger made the remarks on Tuesday, becoming one of the latest high-profile figures to publicly distance himself from the plan, which attracted widespread criticism from football stakeholders across the world.
Infantino had proposed selling a 20 percent stake in the FIFA World Cup through FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) to private equity investors as part of efforts to generate additional revenue.
However, the proposal faced strong opposition from several football governing bodies, including UEFA, which reportedly threatened to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions if the plan went ahead.
The growing backlash eventually forced FIFA to withdraw the proposal.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Wenger clarified that he had no involvement in the project and only became aware of it through media reports.
“The recent events at FIFA deserve some clarity from my side. At FIFA, I am the Chief of Global Football Development. I was not involved in this strategic plan and first became aware of the project through media reports,” Wenger said.
The former Arsenal boss explained that his responsibilities at FIFA focus on football development, youth academies, coaching education, data analysis and technical advisory roles rather than the organisation’s commercial decisions.
He stressed that FIFA must remain an independent institution guided by transparency, integrity and commitment to the growth of football.
“The decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond question because I firmly believe in an independent FIFA that serves our game with commitment, transparency and integrity,” he added.
Wenger’s comments come just days after FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour reportedly claimed that members of staff at the global football governing body had been “deceived” over the proposal.
The controversy has also triggered growing opposition to Infantino’s leadership, with several European football associations withdrawing their support for the FIFA president ahead of the organisation’s next presidential election.
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) has already confirmed it no longer supports Infantino, while the English Football Association is also expected to formally communicate its change of position to FIFA.
Meanwhile, UEFA welcomed FIFA’s decision to abandon the investment proposal but stated that it had “lost confidence” in Infantino’s leadership.
European football clubs are also reported to have expressed concerns over the proposal, particularly because it would have affected existing agreements relating to the Club World Cup and commercial rights.
Despite the backlash, Infantino is still expected to seek a final term as FIFA president during the organisation’s election scheduled for March, where he will require 106 votes from FIFA’s 211 member associations to secure re-election.
Source: AFP.
