Dutch football body happy with FIFA’s abandonment of World Cup commercialization plan

The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) said Saturday it is pleased FIFA withdrew its controversial proposal to create a company that would manage and issue shares for the World Cup. However, the KNVB sees no future with Gianni Infantino as president of FIFA, AD reports.

“The way this process has unfolded has led to a fundamental breach of trust in the leadership of FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The KNVB no longer has confidence in his leadership,” the Dutch association said in a written statement.

“That is evident not only from the concerns expressed by associations worldwide, but also from the criticism and concerns that exist within the FIFA organization itself. This situation calls for a serious conversation about the future of governance and leadership within FIFA.”

Infantino proposed earlier this week establishing a company, to be named FIFA Forward Enterprise, that would take commercial rights and control over the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup and issue shares in it.

The plan drew widespread opposition. UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and CONCACAF rejected it and threatened boycotts of FIFA tournaments. Inside FIFA, some of Infantino’s own confidants also turned against the proposal, arguing he had acted undemocratically.

“This outcome shows how important it is that decisions about the future of international football are taken transparently and in proper consultation with all parties involved,” the KNVB said. “The KNVB will continue to work with UEFA and associations worldwide for good governance and strong international football in which the interests of the sport always come first.”

UEFA, in its own written statement, thanked “all fans, competitions, clubs, players, individuals, associations and confederations who opposed the plan, as well as the many prime ministers, heads of state and commentators who have shown the FIFA president that football is not for sale.”

The European body called for a “thorough and fundamental” evaluation. “UEFA will in the coming days and weeks, together with its associations and in close cooperation with other confederations, reflect on how this could have happened and will draw up a plan to ensure it cannot happen again. No option may be ruled out.”

“We cannot continue like this with secret plans that are pushed through at high speed, conceived by anonymous people and of which the benefit to the sport is dubious. We must the responsibility,” UEFA said.