Alexander Ceferin leveled fresh, harsh criticism at Gianni Infantino, sending a clear message to the FIFA president and those who make decisions about the future of world soccer.
The UEFA president spoke on Tuesday afternoon at the general assembly of the EFC (European Club Association), to which Infantino had also been invited but did not attend.
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Ceferin referred to a series of FIFA initiatives with which he disagrees, arguing that behind terms such as “development,” “democratization,” and “consultation” lie, as he put it, practices that in reality serve different purposes.
“Lately, in world soccer, we’ve been hearing certain very convenient words: ‘development,’ ‘democratization,’ ‘consultation.’ Words that, in reality, are used to describe exactly the opposite. It’s time to say, ‘Enough is enough,’” he emphasized.
The UEFA president then referred to the discussions that have taken place regarding the possible sale of a portion of the World Cup rights to private equity funds, as well as Infantino’s decision to award a peace prize to Donald Trump.
“Imagine discussions taking place behind your back about the sale of your property. Imagine a peace prize being awarded without anyone having told you anything beforehand,” he said.
Concluding his remarks, Ceferin used a particularly telling analogy, emphasizing that soccer does not belong to those who run it and that no one can decide the sport’s future on their own.
“Soccer is bigger than the people who run it. No one has the right to sell its future. Soccer is not for sale. Not today, nor tomorrow. We all know the story. An emperor is convinced that he is wearing magnificent clothes, which, as he is told, only fools or the unworthy cannot see. His court pretends to see them, until a child says aloud what everyone can see: “The emperor has no clothes.”
*photo source: AP
