LONDON (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – “We will make the requested documents available to you, but they may only be consulted in person at our headquarters in Zurich.” In short, this is the response FIFA has given to UEFA regarding a request to make public key documents—documents essential for providing a comprehensive explanation of the ‘FFE’ project, which involves creating a company to manage commercial rights for competitions (including the World Cup) and opening it up to private investors. Nyon had set a deadline of November 2nd for receiving the requested clarifications. According to the BBC, UEFA did receive a response, though it was non-committal: while the “key documents” concerning Gianni Infantino’s plan will indeed be available for review, their consultation will be subject to specific measures designed to protect the confidentiality of certain information. FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström wrote a letter explaining that “members of UEFA’s primary decision-making body will have the opportunity to consult the key documents, but only in person at the headquarters in Zurich.”
In the letter reviewed by BBC Sport, it is specified that the “documentation will be available for review under strict protocols, in order to maintain confidentiality.” Council members have been asked to register within the next two weeks if they wish to examine the documents. According to information obtained by BBC Sport, FIFA has deemed the two-week deadline imposed by UEFA—to respond to over 100 questions—unfeasible, citing its current involvement in organizing a new youth World Cup in Azerbaijan, as well as preparations for an extraordinary congress scheduled for later this month. Furthermore, sources have indicated that FIFA’s ability to address certain inquiries is constrained by legal action initiated by UEFA in the U.S. in October, which seeks to obtain evidence and documentation; UEFA has also warned that it may file a criminal complaint in Switzerland. In its eight-page list of requests, alongside inquiries into the “FIFA Forward Evolution” project championed by Infantino, UEFA also sought information regarding the awarding of the inaugural “FIFA Peace Prize” to U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as the lifting of a suspension for U.S. striker Folarin Balogun—despite his having been sent off in a previous round of the World Cup.
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
