FIFA World Cup plans to sell a minority stake in its commercial operations have drawn fresh criticism after former FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce described the proposal as “ludicrous” and urged the governing body to focus on football supporters.
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FIFA recently dropped its proposal to raise up to $4.2 billion by selling about a 20% stake in a new commercial entity that would oversee major competitions, including the FIFA World Cup.
Boyce Rejects Investment Plan
Boyce said private investors would expect financial returns from their investment. Therefore, he argued that the proposal conflicted with FIFA’s role as a non-profit organisation.
He said FIFA should concentrate on promoting football worldwide instead of seeking outside investors.
Trust Must Be Rebuilt
Furthermore, Boyce said the proposal had damaged FIFA’s credibility among supporters.
He urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to rebuild trust with fans and member associations before next year’s presidential election.
According to Boyce, the governing body must repair the damage caused by what he called an unnecessary proposal.
Pressure on Infantino Grows
Meanwhile, pressure on Infantino has continued to increase.
UEFA and CONCACAF recently said they had lost confidence in his leadership. In addition, senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned and described the proposal as “a bad deal for football.”
Infantino plans to seek a fourth term as FIFA president. The election is scheduled to take place in Morocco on March 18 next year.
Concerns Beyond the Stake Sale
Boyce also criticised ticket prices for the recent FIFA World Cup held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Moreover, he called for a review of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. He said officials should use VAR only to correct clear and obvious refereeing mistakes.
He also criticised FIFA’s decision to suspend the automatic one-match ban issued to Folarin Balogun after his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Boyce described the move as the wrong decision and said it should not have happened.
