Andy Burnham has labelled Gianni Infantino “the wrong man” to continue leading FIFA forward.
The Prime Minister hit out at the FIFA president following his plans to sell stakes in competitions to private investors.
The move has been met by fierce backlash from far beyond the footballing world, with Burnham telling reporters on Friday: “This was an outrageous suggestion.
“The idea that it could even be brought forward shows that, in my view, [he] is the wrong man to lead the organisation.”
Burnham has been openly critical of FIFA’s plans, labelling football’s governing body earlier this week as “sell-outs”.
“Let me say this very directly. Football does not belong to investors. It belongs to the people who fill the stands and who stand on the touchline week in, week out, rain or shine,” he said.
“The World Cup is not a product. It is the greatest competition in world sport, and it was never anyone’s to sell.
“Dress the deal up however you like. Once you have sold a piece of it, you have sold out. Football belongs to the fans. It always has, and it always will.”
Andy Burnham has labelled Gianni Infantino ‘the wrong man’ to continue leading FIFA forward
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GETTY/PA
Earlier today, Infantino lost the support of Carlos Cordeiro, a senior advisor to the FIFA president and the former president of US Soccer.
Cordeiro announced his immediate resignation as opposition to the proposal continues to gather momentum across the sport.
The departure represents another significant setback for Infantino, who is already facing fierce resistance from UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation.
Cordeiro, who also previously served as vice-chairman of Goldman Sachs, said he could no longer support FIFA’s direction and insisted the proposed deal would damage the long-term future of football.
Infantino’s plan has been met by fierce backlash
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GETTY“As a senior adviser to the FIFA president, a former banker, and a lifelong football fan, I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup,” he told Sky News.
“Let me be clear: I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally.
“It is a bad deal for FIFA’s Member Associations, a bad deal for football, and a bad deal for the long-term future of the game.”
The resignation comes as FIFA attempts to convince its 211 member associations to back the creation of FFE, a new commercial company that would control the rights to the governing body’s major tournaments.
Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to the FIFA president and the former president of US Soccer, announced his immediate resignation following Infantino’s plans
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GETTYThe organisation intends to sell a 20 per cent share of the business to private investors, with the venture reportedly valued at around $20billion.
UEFA announced yesterday they will boycott any future FIFA tournament after its 55 member nations held a crisis meeting.
The move will see England and other European nations miss the upcoming 2030 tournament, according to The Times, which is due to be partly hosted in Spain and Portugal.
The FA released a statement following UEFA’s move, saying: “We stand shoulder to shoulder with our European colleagues and fully support the collective view.
“We oppose FIFA’s plans – the FIFA World Cup belongs to football and always will.”