Aivar Pohlak, President of the Estonian Football Association (EJL), has voiced serious concerns regarding FIFA’s plan to partially privatize its flagship tournaments, including the World Cup.
“The FIFA proposal raises three major issues for European football associations. Firstly, governance – decision-making in football must remain exclusively in the hands of football officials. Secondly, the process – no association, confederation, or other stakeholders were consulted in the development of this plan. Thirdly, finances – there is no need to involve private investors to provide additional support to members, as this risks money flowing out of football. FIFA has already generated revenue by organizing various competitions and will continue to do so in the future. At today’s meeting, we fully endorsed the joint statement issued by UEFA,” Pohlak stated.
In an official release following its meeting, UEFA unequivocally rejected FIFA’s proposal to allow private investors to acquire stakes in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions.
Related Stories
