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• Fifa soccer boss series#

The clubs involved in the Africa League would likely be in easier to reach locations than some of the teams involved in Champions League preliminary matches. This, along with the comparatively small prize pot, has made the CAF Champions League unprofitable even for the top clubs. Algerian journalist Maher Mezahi told me some CAF Champions League preliminary rounds can cost up to $50,000 in airfare alone. Even in the recent international break, Gabon had to sleep at the airport ahead of their African Cup of Nations qualifier against The Gambia. The cost and difficulties of travel have been a challenge for African soccer.

Many of the bigger clubs in Africa already have strong local support, but what’s to make soccer fans in Kenya or Nigeria want to watch Kaiser Chiefs or Wydad Casablanca over Chelsea or Arsenal? Victor Zoff from Africa Insider goes as far to call the consequences on local soccer “devastating” and says it would benefit advertisers rather than fans. The local leagues left behind would be severely damaged with the aspirations of clubs and their fans shattered. Some countries don’t have an obvious candidate to join the league, so choosing the 20 teams that would compete would likely cause accusations of favoritism and other problems.

(Photo: STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images Any such move would exacerbate the growing rift with Europe, however, and potentially lead to a larger crisis if top clubs and leading nations from UEFA refuse to participate in the new FIFA-controlled tournaments.Wydad Casablanca from Morocco and TP Mezembe from DR Congo are two clubs likely to feature in any. The proposals to expand the Club World Cup and to create a new global Nations League similar to the recently created UEFA version largely have the backing of officials from South America, Africa and Asia - likely enough to win a vote should Infantino choose to take one at the Miami meeting. At the last two meetings, Ceferin has arrived armed with signed letters of opposition from The European Club Association, a union of the continent’s top clubs, and a separate group representing the continent’s domestic leagues. The organization has been seeking the support of European clubs and leagues to oppose Infantino’s proposals. As tensions grow, however, there is a chance that European executives will not attend, according to a person familiar with the continental leaders’ plans. “The feedback received will be fed back to the Council together with the results of the other consultation platforms.”įIFA’s task force for the two tournaments will hold its next meeting on Feb.

Fifa soccer boss series#

“As part of this discussion, people are asked to give their feedback on a series of proposals and, as in any democratic consultation process, every member can express its opinion freely,” FIFA said in a statement. The vote did not take place instead, FIFA set up a task force involving representatives from the six confederations and asked it to produce an acceptable plan before a scheduled FIFA Council meeting in March in Miami.Īt the last summit, in Morocco, Infantino expressed frustration to the officials who declined to take part in the vote for his plans, according to multiple people present at the meeting. I will not let anyone sacrifice its structures on the altar of a highly cynical and ruthless mercantilism.” “Money does not rule - and the European sports model must be respected. “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,” Ceferin said in a speech last May. On FIFA’s tablets, voters are asked to pick from only three choices: a tournament with 16, 24 or 32 teams.Ĭeferin, under pressure from clubs and federations in Europe, has clashed repeatedly with Infantino over the proposed changes both to the Club World Cup and to the broader global soccer calendar, with Ceferin most frustrated by new initiatives that could challenge the hegemony of existing club tournaments like UEFA’s Champions League and add to the workload of players. Some of the Europeans balked because the list of options for the Club World Cup did not include the option of not holding the tournament, which is often an annoyance for the European champion who attends, at all. Instead, they have told Infantino and his team that the feelings of Aleksander Ceferin, the president of the European governing body, UEFA, and his governing council represent their views.

Infantino’s problem is that European officials attending the meetings have stubbornly refused to offer any opinions.