Alexander Ceferin surprised with his emphaticness about the new format proposed by the FIFA with the Club World Cup, which he vigorously opposed.
Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, first unveiled his mysterious project months ago, which will report 21 billion euros, but it has a problem in relation to the format. In private meetings, UEFA has been against contesting a 24-team Club World Cup every four summers since 2021, plus a successive League of Nations that would end in a mini World Cup.
Before Infantino call an emergency meeting of the FIFA Council to remove the proposal, even knowing the refusal also of the European leagues, which forced him to postpone the meeting until this summer, Ceferin he broke his silence, being very harsh about it. “As long as I am president of UEFA, there will be no place to pursue selfish endeavors or hide behind false pretenses”, said Ceferin, who added that “Money does not rule, and the European sports model must be respected. Football is not for sale. I will not let anyone sacrifice their structures on the altar of a very cynical and ruthless commercialism.”
In fact, he even sent a clear message against Ceferin, stating that “I cannot accept that some people blinded by the pursuit of profit are considering selling the soul of soccer tournaments to nebulous private funds”. This reason is precisely a focus of discussion between UEFA and FIFA, since the funds that have promoted the new Club World Cup have not been revealed.
