British PM Burnham and Blatter hit out at FIFA investor plans

Britsh Prime Minister Andy Burnham and former FIFA president Joseph Blatter have joined the critics on plans of the ruling football body to set up a private company to run the World Cup and other events.

FIFA announced its plans on Tuesday, saying it was aiming to launch FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) to merge the sale of FIFA’s commercial rights with the operational delivery of its tournaments led by the World, which generates the most income for FIFA.

FIFA said that FFE would be open to private investors to acquire minority stakes and valued the entity at $20 billion. FIFA said it wants to generate $4.2 billion this year to distribute among its 211 member federations, pending approval.

The plans were swiftly condemned by Europe’s governing body UEFA and Burnham joined the critics late Tuesday on social media.

Burnham: Football doesn’t belong to investors

“Let me say this very directly. Football does not belong to investors. It belongs to the people who fill the stands and who stand on the touchline week in, week out, rain or shine,” Burnham said.

“The World Cup is not a product. It is the greatest competition in world sport, and it was never anyone’s to sell. Dress the deal up however you like. Once you have sold a piece of it, you have sold out.

“Football belongs to the fans. It always has, and it always will.”

Blatter again hits out at Infantino

Blatter, who presided over FIFA until 2015 before Gianni Infantino followed in 2016, was also not impressed.

“The close relationship between the FIFA President and the US President has reached a financial dimension that is deeply damaging football. No one has the right to sell our game,” Blatter said on X.

Infantino has been criticised for being close to US President Donald Trump. The Times reported that individuals associated with Trump’s US administration had also been involved in the FIFA plans.

Supporters group backs UEFA condemnation

The Press Association quoted a statement from the Football Supporters’ Association which named the plan a “new low” from FIFA.

“Like so many across the game, we are furious. We will examine the detail as it emerges, but we will do everything in our power as fans to fight back against the long line of decisions made that seriously threaten the future of football for short-term commercial gain,” it said.

“This cannot become another step in Gianni Infantino’s attempt to reshape football without regard for supporters or the wider game. We fully support UEFA’s statement.”

UEFA had said that FIFA’s plan “crosses a line” and insisted: “None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA’s to sell.”

UEFA vice-president Gabriele Gravina told the ANSA news agency that the delicate balance between football as a spectacle and football as a national passion, built up over many years, was in danger of being swept away by a profit-driven vision.

“We are going too far,” Gravina said. “All confederations must act accordingly.”