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Archive photo · 26 August 2014FIFA Shares Key Documents On Gianni Infantino’s Failed World Cup Sell-Off Plan
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FIFA will partially release key World Cup sell-off documents to council members in Zurich. Access limited to in-person viewing at FIFA HQ in Zurich under strict review.
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Council access, Zurich review
FIFA said it would share "key documents" relating to president Gianni Infantino's failed plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup to members of its council, but it would do so under "strict review protocols". FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom wrote that council members could view the paperwork only in person at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, and he said they must register their interest within the next two weeks. Uefa had given FIFA until 2 November to release details about the hugely controversial Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal and to answer a list of questions about governance and decision-making.
Uefa had also told FIFA that it failed to address "a number of fundamental questions," and the letter included eight pages of questions covering issues from FFE and funding to the awarding of an inaugural Fifa Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump. FIFA said the FFE proposal "could not have proceeded without the cumulative and mandatory approval of the council" and that there would be "no penalty to Fifa for withdrawing from the proposal".
UEFA demands, FIFA limits
Uefa demanded all documents on the abandoned FFE scheme, and it said refusal should be "justified individually, with a clear explanation of the specific grounds relied upon." FIFA said Uefa's two-week turnaround was unfeasible, and it pointed to its focus on organising a new youth World Cup in Azerbaijan and preparations for an extraordinary congress later this month. Grafstrom told council members that FIFA is "currently working on a response" to Uefa's letter and said it would be shared with all FIFA Council members in due course.
Uefa also sought answers over Infantino's alleged "conflicts of interest" involving business dealings with the Trump family, a call before US striker Folarin Balogun's red-card ban was lifted, and the creation of a FIFA Peace Prize for US President Donald Trump without the FIFA Council's approval. FIFA said it would allow council members to see key documents only in person at FIFA HQ in Zurich, and it said the conditions were designed to limit disclosure of the contents of the FFE venture.
Election pressure, legal case
FIFA said it hoped the document access would add pressure on Infantino before 18 November, the cut-off date for candidates to confirm they are standing against him in next year's presidential election. Sky News said council members, including all six regional confederation presidents, had two weeks to register their interest to see the documents, and it said the deadline for candidates was 18 November with backing of five of the 211 voting FAs needed. The BBC said Uefa launched legal action in October in the US requesting disclosure of evidence and documents, warning it could lodge a criminal complaint in Switzerland.
The BBC also said it was unclear which documents would be made available, and it reported that FIFA's ability to answer some questions was limited by that legal action. The Guardian said the deadline for council members to apply for visits was 16 November, two days before candidates were required to declare their hand, and it said preliminary rulings in US courts could affect how much information council members can view.