Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has welcomed FIFA’s decision to withdraw its FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, while calling for greater consultation over any future plans affecting the governance of world football.
The proposal was designed to create a new commercial entity that would allow private-sector investors to acquire stakes in the commercial rights to FIFA competitions. Its withdrawal was announced by FIFA president Gianni Infantino early on Saturday, following growing opposition from several continental confederations and senior football officials.
In a statement, Sheikh Salman said the decision provided an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of consultation on issues affecting the future of the game.
He urged FIFA to ensure that any similar initiatives in future were presented, in good time and with the highest levels of transparency, to the continental confederations, the FIFA Council, member associations and all other relevant stakeholders.
“The future of global football must always be shaped through proper consultation, collective dialogue and respect for the established governance structures of our game,” Sheikh Salman said.
He added that the Asian Football Confederation remained ready to support any initiative that strengthened unity across the football family, contributed to the development of the game worldwide and delivered tangible benefits for all parties.
The AFC had previously expressed its anger at FIFA’s decision to introduce the idea without consulting the continental confederations.
Sheikh Salman also thanked the AFC’s member associations, praising them for displaying unity and solidarity during the dispute.
“I am proud that all our member associations stood united and placed their trust in the AFC to seek answers on their behalf regarding a matter of great importance to the future governance of global football,” he said.
“I thank them for their patience, solidarity and unity, and reaffirm that the AFC will always act in their best interests.”
Infantino said FIFA Forward Enterprise had been intended to “provide a basis for the continued strengthening of FIFA member associations, supporting football around the world, particularly in countries most in need”.
The FIFA president said the project had always been conditional on securing the support of a majority of FIFA’s member associations. He also stated that it would have been subject to consultation with member associations, the FIFA Council, the continental confederations and other stakeholders.
Under the proposal, FIFA would have established a new company to manage commercial activities and organise competitions, with the option of selling a stake to private investors.
The plan faced intensifying resistance in the days before its withdrawal. UEFA rejected the proposal outright and warned that its members could boycott all FIFA competitions if the project went ahead. The AFC and Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) subsequently joined the opposition.
The controversy also led to the resignation of American Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to Infantino, in protest against the project. Frenchman Kevin Lamour, FIFA’s chief operating officer, also criticised the proposal publicly.
Infantino’s decision to withdraw it brought an end to one of the most contentious projects in FIFA’s history.
