The proposal by Fifa president Gianni Infantino to create a new commercial subsidiary of the world football body will be examined collectively by Europe's football federations, as part of an emergency session called by Uefa.
That was the message from Cyprus Football Association (CFA) president Charis Loizides, speaking to CNA on Thursday when asked about the position the CFA will take on Infantino's proposal. Loizides said the proposal was submitted to national federations without warning and requires thorough evaluation before any position is taken. "It's a proposal that came to us suddenly, it needs further study," he said, adding that this was why Uefa's plenary of federation presidents had called an emergency online session for the afternoon.
He said a detailed examination of the proposal would follow, along with an exchange of views among Europe's federations, stressing that decisions would not be taken individually. "A serious study of the proposal will take place, and decisions will be made collectively," Loizides told CNA.
What Fifa is proposing
Infantino's proposal centres on creating a new commercial subsidiary of the global federation. Specifically, Fifa wants to establish the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), a separate company that would bring together all of the federation's commercial activities. This would include broadcasting rights, sponsorships, ticketing, commercial licensing, and the commercial exploitation of major tournaments such as the World Cup.
Under the proposal, the new company is valued at $20 billion, with Fifa considering the sale of a minority stake of up to 20% to outside investors while retaining majority control itself.
Source: CNA
