Fifa to let council members inspect confidential World Cup sell-off documents
Fifa has told its council that members may inspect confidential documents relating to president Gianni Infantino's abandoned plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors, a move communicated in a letter sent just hours before Uefa's two-week deadline of 2 November expired, BBC Sport has learned.
Last month Uefa gave Fifa until 2 November to publish details about the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal and to answer a list of more than 100 questions about its governance and decision-making. The demand followed a Fifa council meeting at which Infantino apologised for the abandoned sell-off plan but did not provide a full account of how the proposal was developed, instead asking that questions be submitted in writing.
Just hours before the deadline, Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom wrote to members of the organisation's main decision-making body saying they would be able to view documents under specific conditions and only in person at Fifa's headquarters in Zurich, citing confidentiality obligations. Council members were asked to register their interest to see the paperwork within the next two weeks. It is unclear which documents will be made available.
BBC Sport has been told Fifa regarded Uefa's two-week timeframe as unfeasible because officials had been focused on organising a new youth World Cup in Azerbaijan and preparing for an extraordinary congress later this month. Sources also indicated Fifa's ability to answer some questions is limited by legal action that Uefa launched in October in the US requesting disclosure of evidence and documents and warning it could lodge a criminal complaint in Switzerland.
Uefa said Fifa had failed to address "a number of fundamental questions" and sent an eight-page letter that covered issues ranging from FFE and funding to national associations, to the awarding of an inaugural Fifa Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump and the controversial suspended ban given to USA striker Folarin Balogun at the World Cup.
"The withdrawal of FFE, the acknowledgement of mistakes and the announcement of 'potential governance reforms' do not answer how the relevant decisions were taken or why the Fifa Council was not involved at the appropriate stage," the letter said. "These questions require answers now. They cannot be deferred until the next meeting of the Fifa Council - nor can future governance reforms substitute for scrutiny of decisions already taken and accountability for them."
Uefa did not specify what steps it would take if Fifa failed to meet the deadline but said it hoped the demand added pressure on Infantino before 18 November, the cut-off date for any candidates to confirm they are standing in next year's presidential election. Uefa has been approached for comment.
Council members must register their interest within the next two weeks if they wish to view the paperwork in person at Fifa's Zurich headquarters, the procedural step set out in Grafstrom's letter.
