The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has accused Fifa of undermining the very foundations of football by failing to consult confederations over plans to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. In a letter sent Thursday by AFC president Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa to the confederation's 47 members, seen by the Guardian, Fifa's unilateral actions in striking a deal with Joshua Kushner's Thrive Capital to buy 20% of a new company controlling commercial rights of all global tournaments were roundly condemned.
AFC's critical position
Al-Khalifa's intervention is significant because the AFC has previously been a strong supporter of Gianni Infantino and has already pledged to vote for him en masse in next year's Fifa presidential election. With the South American confederation Conmebol and the Confederation of African Football (Caf) firmly behind Infantino, the AFC's position is critical, as they appear to hold the balance of power. Uefa and the North American confederation Concacaf have both strongly opposed the sell-off, but with just 65 votes between them, they would not have sufficient numbers to block Fifa's proposal, which requires a simple majority of its 211 members to pass.
Letter details concerns
The AFC had issued a statement echoing Uefa's concerns over governance earlier, but al-Khalifa's letter goes further. He wrote: “The AFC notes with great concern and disappointment that it was not consulted by Fifa at any level prior to the public announcement of this proposal, and nor has it received any detailed governance, financial or legal analysis of the proposal and its potential repercussions, which is totally unacceptable. Furthermore, the AFC is deeply concerned that Fifa’s unilateral actions appear to undermine the very foundations of continental football, which are based on solidarity, cooperation and transparency. Moreover, such an initiative will not succeed without the support of all the confederations, which is not the case now.”
Call for timeline change
Al-Khalifa also called on Fifa to alter their timetable after Infantino gave national associations a deadline of 19 September to decide whether to accept an initial payment of $20m (£15m) generated by the sale. He stated: “The AFC is surprised that the current timeline allows an extremely limited period for consideration of a proposal of such significance, when such decisions should never be rushed, and it is imperative that all factors be considered and debated. The AFC firmly believes that sufficient time must be afforded for a comprehensive assessment, including appropriate legal and governance due diligence, meaningful consultation and careful consideration of the long-term implications of such an initiative. Above all, it is essential that the appropriate Fifa bodies be involved in the decision-making process and that the matter is handled at all times in accordance with the Fifa Statutes and the highest standards of ethics and good governance.”
Uefa emergency meeting
Uefa will hold an emergency meeting of its 55 members on Thursday afternoon to discuss their next steps. A senior source told the Guardian on Thursday morning that a boycott of Fifa tournaments would be the main discussion point.
