sports
Europe’s top clubs threatened Club World Cup boycott before Fifa plan collapsed
European Football Clubs demanded Infantino back down
TL;DR
- European clubs threatened to boycott future Club World Cups unless FIFA's FFE plan was withdrawn.
- A letter to FIFA stated cooperation would hinge on Infantino backing down and a joint venture with EFC being completed.
- Clubs demanded confirmation that broadcasting, commercial, and sponsorship rights would be part of the proposed joint venture, not FFE.
- The EFC warned that FIFA's actions could constitute a "substantial breach" of their memorandum of understanding.
- Concerns were also raised about delays in distributing £185m of solidarity money to non-participating clubs and a lack of transparency on financial performance.
- The EFC highlighted the importance of the international match calendar and player release rules, suggesting potential pushback.
- The FFE plan was ultimately shelved by FIFA after widespread condemnation.
- The EFC, chaired by Nasser al-Khelaifi, demonstrated significant leverage over FIFA.