The Asian Football Confederation has criticized Fifa for threatening football’s fundamental principles by moving ahead with plans to sell World Cup stakes to private investors without first consulting the continental governing bodies.
In a letter distributed to the AFC’s 47 member associations on Thursday, president Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa strongly denounced Fifa’s decision to negotiate an agreement with Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Capital. The investment company would acquire a 20% stake in a new entity responsible for managing the commercial rights to all global competitions.
Al-Khalifa’s response is particularly notable because the AFC has traditionally backed Gianni Infantino and has already committed to supporting him collectively in next year’s Fifa presidential election.
The AFC’s stance could prove decisive because Infantino retains firm support from both the South American confederation Conmebol and the Confederation of African Football (Caf), leaving the Asian organization in a potentially influential position.
Uefa and the North American confederation Concacaf have strongly resisted the proposed sale. However, their combined 65 votes would not be enough to prevent its approval, as Fifa’s 211 members only need to provide a simple majority.
The AFC previously released a statement expressing governance concerns similar to those raised by Uefa, but al-Khalifa adopted a more forceful position in his letter.
He said the AFC was seriously concerned and disappointed that Fifa had announced the proposal publicly without consulting the confederation at any stage. He added that no detailed governance, financial or legal assessment of the plan and its possible consequences had been provided, describing the situation as entirely unacceptable.
Al-Khalifa also warned that Fifa’s decision to act independently could weaken the foundations of continental football, which depend on solidarity, collaboration and openness. He emphasized that the initiative could not succeed without the backing of every confederation, support that it currently lacks.
The AFC president also urged Fifa to revise its schedule after Infantino gave national associations until 19 September to decide whether to accept an initial payment of $20m (£15m) funded by the proposed sale.
He said the AFC was astonished that so little time had been provided to evaluate a proposal of such importance, arguing that decisions of this scale should not be hurried and that every relevant issue must be carefully examined and discussed.
According to al-Khalifa, enough time should be allocated for a thorough review, including proper legal and governance checks, substantial consultation and a detailed evaluation of the initiative’s long-term consequences.
He added that the relevant Fifa bodies must play a role in reaching any decision and that the process should consistently comply with Fifa’s statutes while meeting the highest standards of ethics and responsible governance.
Uefa is scheduled to convene an emergency meeting with its 55 members on Thursday afternoon to determine its response, with a possible boycott of Fifa competitions expected to be a central topic of discussion.
What do you feel about this post?
Like
Love
Happy
Haha
Sad
