UEFA set to drop boycott threat, handing FIFA some breathing room, AP says
By Ben Church, CNN
(CNN) — European soccer governing body UEFA is poised to no longer boycott upcoming FIFA tournaments, according to the Associated Press, as the sport’s ongoing saga takes another turn.
UEFA has been embroiled in a public feud with world governing body FIFA since a proposed plan – dubbed the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) – to sell off a portion of commercial and operational rights to the World Cup was leaked, openly criticizing both the organization and its beleaguered leader, Gianni Infantino.
In July, UEFA members voted to boycott future tournaments and doubled down on that position earlier this month despite FIFA scrapping the FFE proposal and apologizing for “mistakes.”
Now, after ongoing discussions with FIFA, that stance has reportedly softened, with UEFA reportedly receiving reassurances that such a project will never be attempted again.
UEFA members are due to meet Thursday to end the boycott, a person familiar with the plan told AP on Wednesday.
CNN Sports has reached out to both UEFA and FIFA for comment.
The threat of UEFA’s boycott had intensified in recent days, with the Women’s Under-20 World Cup in Poland fast approaching next week.
Now, though, the tournament can go ahead as planned without any of the six European teams, including the host nation, having to drop out.
New twist
The news will come as welcome relief to Infantino as he continues to cling onto his role at FIFA president.
His battle with UEFA, arguably the strongest continental confederation, was a major hurdle to his survival, but this will give him breathing room and some much-needed time.
However, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin recently told The Rest is Politics podcast that he expects Infantino to resign or at least face a challenge in next year’s presidential election.
It’s not yet clear who will challenge Infantino – contenders need to come forward by a November 18 deadline – but it’s now a numbers game about which of the 211 national associations are for or against him staying on.
The-CNN-Wire
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