UEFA has abandoned its threat to boycott future FIFA competitions less than a month after raising the prospect of European nations withdrawing from tournaments.
The dramatic warning formed part of UEFA’s escalating battle with FIFA president Gianni Infantino over controversial proposals to sell a stake in the governing body’s World Cup commercial operation to private investors.
However, representatives of UEFA’s 55 member associations are set to be informed that a boycott is no longer under consideration when officials gather in Monaco for Thursday’s Champions League draw.
European football’s governing body is believed to have changed its position after receiving legally binding guarantees that the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprises project has been permanently abandoned.
UEFA officials are also expected to tell members they have received assurances that no similar attempt to transform FIFA’s commercial structure will be pursued in the future.
The original proposal would have involved the creation of a separate enterprise responsible for managing commercial and ticketing rights connected to FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.
Infantino could reportedly have earned £30million per year as chief executive of the combined operation had the project gone ahead.
UEFA has abandoned its threat to boycott future FIFA competitions less than a month after raising the prospect of European nations withdrawing from tournaments
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UEFA’s decision to withdraw its boycott threat will provide particular relief to the six European teams, including England, preparing to compete at the forthcoming Women’s Under-20 World Cup in Poland.
Their involvement had potentially been placed in doubt by the increasingly bitter dispute between football’s two most powerful governing bodies.
Yet the latest development does not represent a truce between UEFA and Infantino.
England and other big European nations are set to play at the next World Cup following UEFA’s U-turn
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PAEuropean officials are still believed to want the Swiss administrator removed from power following 11 years at the head of FIFA.
The opposition now faces a race against time, with only two months remaining to identify a candidate capable of challenging Infantino for the presidency.
Victor Montagliani, the Canadian head of CONCACAF, has emerged as one possible contender. He is close to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and is understood to have been angered by Infantino’s alliance with US President Donald Trump.
Bahrain’s Sheikh Salman Al Khalifa has also been mentioned as a potential challenger.
The dispute over FIFA Forward Enterprises triggered legal action from UEFA, with Infantino and several senior FIFA officials receiving demands to preserve documents and information connected to the failed plan.
UEFA declared earlier this month that it had lost confidence in Infantino’s leadership and insisted FIFA’s decision to abandon the proposal had not repaired that relationship.
Gianni Infantino remains under immense pressure in his role as FIFA president
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PAInfantino subsequently issued an embarrassing apology alongside FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, acknowledging that mistakes had been made both during the development of the project and after details entered the public domain.
“We sincerely apologise for these errors and commit to them not happening again,” their joint letter said.
“We acknowledge that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media.
“With this in mind, we will conduct a necessary review, and a report will be presented to the FIFA Council at its next scheduled meeting.”
