PARIS, July 30 (Agencies): FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the governing body's proposal to launch a private commercial subsidiary for its competitions, calling it an "opportunity but not an obligation", as opposition from football's continental confederations continues to grow.
The plan to create a commercial entity, reportedly valued at around $20 billion, to manage the World Cup and other FIFA events has triggered criticism since it was revealed on Tuesday. Several football stakeholders have raised concerns over transparency, governance and the possible impact on the existing football structure.
Infantino said the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) would help unlock "previously uncaptured commercial value" and provide greater financial benefits to FIFA's 211 member associations.
"FIFA Forward Enterprise is actually a proposal, an offer. It's part of a democratic process - a consultation process - and, above all, it is an opportunity but not an obligation," Infantino said in a video message released on Wednesday.
"It is a golden opportunity to turbocharge the development of the game globally. But again, it is just an offer, not an obligation."
The FIFA president said the initiative would require approval from the FIFA Council and a vote by member associations. He insisted the move would not change football's structure or affect fans negatively.
"Fans from everywhere in the world would gain immeasurably from this game-changing potential because it will transform football in their countries," he said.
However, the proposal has faced strong criticism from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which accused FIFA of failing to consult regional bodies before announcing the plan.
AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa described FIFA's lack of consultation as "totally unacceptable" in a letter sent to the confederation's 47 member associations.
"The AFC notes with great concern and disappointment that it was not consulted by FIFA at any level prior to the public announcement of this proposal," Sheikh Salman wrote.
He added that the AFC had not received any detailed governance, financial or legal analysis of the plan and warned that FIFA's unilateral approach could undermine the foundations of continental football based on "solidarity, cooperation and transparency".
The AFC chief said the proposal could not succeed without the support of all six FIFA confederations and called for a thorough review through proper legal and governance channels.
He also questioned the timeline given to member associations to consider the proposal. Infantino informed FIFA's 211 members that they would receive $40 million each if they approved the plan by September 19.
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