FIFA concede defeat on Club World Cup proposal
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has conceded that his plans to implement a revamped Club World Cup and a new Nations League competition ahead of the World Cup will not come to fruitition.
Infantino had hoped to upgrade the seven-team competition to a 24-team event for the Club World Cup that would have taken place every four years starting in 2021.
Combined with the new Nations League, both tournaments were expected to bring in some £18.7billion in the first 12 years after having been backed by unidentified investors.
The plans prompted strong opposition from several different official outlets, based on a combination of factors. First, the lack of information surrounding the investors was a cause for concern, whilst the impacts on the existing football schedule were unaccounted for.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin launched a scathing attack on the proposal during a meeting in Brussels with the EU sports ministers. He said: ''As long as I am UEFA president there will be no room for pursuing selfish endeavours or hiding behind false pretences.''
''I cannot accept that some people who are blinded by the pursuit of profit are considering to sell the soul of football tournaments to nebulous private funds. Money does not rule - and the European sports model must be respected. Football is not for sale.''
His viewpoint was supported by Javier Tebas, La Liga boss, who told 'The Financial Times': ''I've already said to Real Madrid and Barcelona: there will be food now and hunger tomorrow.''
Tebas noted: ''This will cause a deconstructing of the national league. We already have this problem in Europe. We have to face it and find a solution because the Club World Cup will make it even worse.''