Burnham blasts FIFA boss Gianni Infantino as ‘wrong man to lead’ over shock World Cup private cash grab

PRIME Minister Andy Burnham has blasted Fifa boss Gianni Infantino as “the wrong man to lead the organisation” over shock plans to sell the World Cup. Infantino’s scheme to allow private investment in the game’s biggest tournament has sparked outrage as the football world took a stand. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has sparked outrage after plans to sell Credit: Reuters Burnham has blasted Gianni Infantino as ‘the wrong man to lead’ Credit: PA Burnham’s call for Infantino to quit comes as one of the Fifa boss’ closest advisers Carlos Cordeiro quit his role in the wake of the sell-off fiasco. The former US Soccer president told the Sky News: “As a senior adviser to the FIFA president, a former banker, and a lifelong football fan, I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! “Let me be clear: I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally.” The Fifa boss’ reign could be over soon after Concacaf joined Uefa in rejecting private cash grab plans. European powerbrokers are trying to convince Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi to challenge him at next year’s election in March. Fifa’s controversial plan to to sell a minority stake in a new company, Fifa Forward Enterprise, first emerged on Tuesday. The football federation has insisted that the FFE plan would create “value” that is shared among all 211 members. The plan is to sell 20% of the World Cup to private investors for £3.2billion – which valued the new commercial arm at £15billion. Most read in Sport Uefa, Concacaf and the AFC have all criticised the governing body for its plan, with European nations boycotting all future Fifa tournaments. England are among all of the Uefa members to agree to the boycott -which would include the 2030 Men’s World Cup. The European body wrote: “As a result of today’s discussion, no UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive, unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that FIFA will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership.” Following the backlash, Fifa shamelessly insisted “nobody is selling football”. A statement read: “We have heard the feedback provided by the respective confederations in relation to the proposed establishment of Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) and would like to address the issues that have surfaced since the initial media reporting on Tuesday. “We respect the feedback and concern aired in public and reaffirm our commitment to an open and democratic consultation. ⁠”Our planned consultation process was disrupted by incorrect media reports. “We will proceed with this consultation process to ensure that each MA has the ability to express its vote based on facts. “FFE has been proposed solely to ensure that all Fifa Member Associations (MAs) have the opportunity to take meaningful ownership of the commercial opportunity of football in their respective countries, and that this does not come at the cost of either the spirit or the governance of FIFA or football itself. “Nobody is selling football. This is not something Fifa would ever entertain.” The Prime Minister had previously weighed in on the controversy and said: “The World Cup is not a product. It is the greatest competition in world sport. “Once you have sold a piece of it, you have sold out. Football belongs to the fans.” Today, Burnham told reporters: “This was an outrageous suggestion. “The idea that it could even be brought forward shows that, in my view, that the Fifa is the wrong man to lead the organisation.” Fifa's £15bn World Cup sell out FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s controversial plan to sell of shares in the World Cup has triggered an unprecedented civil war in world football. The battle lines are drawn – between a unified Western front threatening a total boycott and smaller nations enticed by Infantino’s promise of £30million per country if they accept his scheme. WHO OPPOSES THE SALE? Opposition to the proposal is massive, swift, and led by the sport’s most powerful confederations, led by Europe. Uefa (Europe): In a historic 55-0 unanimous vote, European football’s governing body resolved to boycott the World Cup and all other Fifa competitions if the plan passes. Concacaf (North/Central America & Caribbean): All 41 member nations unanimously rejected the proposal. AFC (Asian Football Confederation): AFC President Sheikh Salman voiced “great concern and disappointment” over Infantino’s lack of transparency. Political leaders: Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy strongly backed the boycott, declaring football belongs to fans, not billionaire investors. Even disgraced former Fifa President Sepp Blatter also blasted Infantino. WHO SUPPORTS IT? Support for the plan is driven by Infantino’s administration and the promise of massive financial windfalls to individual countries Fifa’s executive leadership: Infantino is aggressively driving the deal, framing it as a “democratic consultation” and a “golden opportunity” to turbocharge global football development. Private investors (The Kushner Family / Thrive Capital): American firm Thrive Capital, founded by Joshua Kushner (brother to Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner), leads the billionaire group buying into the World Cup. Wall Street giant JP Morgan is also supporting the venture as Fifa’s financial adviser. Small nations: Infantino’s core support relies on smaller, cash-strapped nations in developing regions who will be tempted by his guarantee of £30m each. Middle Eastern backers: Insiders expect heavy investment interest from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Qatar who both enjoy highly lucrative ties with Infantino’s regime. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The proposal requires a simple majority (50% plus one) of Fifa’s 211 members to pass on 19 September. Infantino may secure the votes of smaller nations. But pushing the deal through – which values the World Cup at £15billion – without Europe and North America threatens to tear global football apart. 5 comments5