CONCACAF: FIFA's investor deal shows it does not put football first
· Yahoo Sports
CONCACAF, the football federation responsible for North and Central America and the Caribbean, stepped up the pressure on Saturday on FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
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The investor deal originally planned by FIFA was a "symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first," CONCACAF said in a statement.
FIFA had announced on Tuesday that it wanted to sell minority stakes in a planned company overseeing its commercial rights and tournament operations to private investors. Infantino said the project would "turbocharge" football development and members who endorsed this by September 19 would receive a $20 million bonus.
The European association UEFA attacked the plan and said its members would not play in FIFA-sponsored events if the deal went through. UEFA's rejection was followed by Asia's AFC and CONCACAF.
That meant that FIFA and Infantino would have no majority from the 211 members. Infantino said early on Saturday that the plan was now scrapped.
CONCACAF's 41 members welcomed the withdrawal of the proposed project, but said the matter is far from over.
"This recent unilateral and egregious act of poor governance and leadership follows a pattern of missteps and similar behaviour. A comprehensive reckoning with this presidency is imperative."
CONCACAF: No one person should control football
UEFA had previously called for such a review in harsh terms. "This review must be thorough and comprehensive. No option should be ruled out from the outset," a statement said. "We must identify those responsible and hold them to account."
CONCACAF praised the decisive approach taken by the associations against FIFA's plans.
"The unity demonstrated by our Member Associations this week has reaffirmed that when guided by courage, integrity, and sound governance the game will remain where it belongs: in the hands of football - not a single individual," it said in the statement.
Addressing Infantino, CONCACAF said: "We are all simply custodians, serving a game that belongs to us all."