At the forthcoming Meeting of the FIFA Council, the President of the world football Association, Gianni Infantino, to present, allegedly a further proposal for the Reform of the club world Cup. Armed with the UEFA seems inevitable.
This Friday, it will be well hot when the FIFA Council, the highest body of the world football Association, in Kigali, capital of Rwanda, sitting together. Point 4 of the agenda (“future of competitions”) carries with it the Potential for heated discussions to the dispute: the future shape of the FIFA club world Cup and the Nations Cup, as well as the commercial strategy behind this.
25 billion dollars in twelve years
Last June, just before the world Cup in Russia, had put the Council to the controversial plans of FIFA-boss Gianni Infantino on ice. Infantino wanted to bloat the club world Cup to 24 Teams and all four years of play, and in place of the Confederation Cup, a global Nations League. His bait were supposed to be guaranteed income of 25 billion dollars (22 billion euros) over a period of twelve years.
The money should be applied by an international financial consortium. Infantino didn’t want to reveal who is behind the offer. According to media reports, the consortium of Japanese Telecom and media group Softbank is led, also Saudi Arabia and China should be involved.
Infantinos initiative failed primarily on the resistance of the European football Union UEFA, the sensed, in a new, larger club world Cup, a Competition for the Champions League. Allegedly, the FIFA chief in Kigali wants to put another proposal on the table that is likely to bring the UEFA representatives permanently on the palm.
Club world Cup with more Teams, once a year?
Aleksander Ceferin thinks little of Infantinos plans
The AP news Agency and the British newspaper “The Guardian” consistently report citing a FIFA source, Infantino wanted the participants increased club world Cup now, even each year, play – always in July or August, the FIFA boss will also be used for other date suggestions. That would be an open provocation of the UEFA, whose President had rejected Aleksander Ceferin the previous plans as a “highly cynical” and “ruthless mercantilism”. Similar to Andrea, had expressed Agnelli, President of Juventus Turin and the successor of Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as Chairman of the influential “European Club Asscociation”. Agnelli referred to the financial forecast Infantinos as “dubious” and pointed out that the football calendar standing until 2024.
Real and Barca on Infantinos page
Infantino was the resistance of the Europeans unimpressed. In may he invited, allegedly, representatives of seven European top clubs to a secret meeting in Zurich: in addition to Juventus, the Spanish most famous clubs, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, Bayern, Paris St Germain, Manchester United and Manchester City. Real and Barca has been able to convince the FIFA President, apparently, already.
Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in the club world Cup in 2017 in Abu Dhabi, at that time still in the Jersey of Real Madrid
First stage victory for Infantino?
And also in the FIFA Council could have changed the mood. Finally, the UEFA only nine of the 36 members, that is to say a third. Among the remaining two-thirds of one or the other, gets at the prospect of a guaranteed revenue of more than 100 million euros per club world Cup participants shining eyes is likely safe. According to AP, the representatives of the other continental associations Infantino have already indicated that they would generally support a Reform of the competitions. It is expected that the FIFA President is already in Kigali on the detailed plans to vote to make but about his basic intention, the club world Cup and to leave the place of the Confederation Cup, a global Nations League. For Infantino, it would be a first stage win.