The crisis revolves around FIFA’s plan to create a new commercial entity called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which will manage the international federation’s commercial rights, including television broadcasting, sponsorship and tickets, in addition to operational supervision of a number of major tournaments.

According to the proposal, Infantino seeks to raise about $4.2 billion from external investors, in exchange for selling non-controlling minority shares in the new entity, whose total value is estimated at about $20 billion.

The plan is expected to require approval by the FIFA General Assembly and member associations, while estimates indicate that the new funding may allow up to $10 billion to be allocated to football development programs over the next four years.

But the project quickly turned into a real crisis, after European parties considered that the entry of private capital into this field threatened to transform football from a sports system into a commercial project subject to the logic of investors and profits.

UEFA’s response was sharp, as the European Union described the project as crossing “red lines” that the bodies responsible for managing football should not cross.

UEFA stressed that the spirit and governance of football are not tradable assets, stressing that football is not owned by FIFA in order to treat it as an asset that can be sold to investors.

The European Union called on clubs, players, fans and governments to stand against the project, in a clear indication of the amount of anger sparked by Infantino’s plan. (Russia Today)