Football Administrator Eric Alagidede has urged the Ghana Football Association to reject FIFA’s controversial plans to sell stakes in World Cup competitions to private investors.
The former Accra Great Olympics General Manager believes that the proposal could lead to over-commercialisation of football, similar to past issues with FIFA.
“I think it should be rejected. Look, let’s be very honest with ourselves. Yes, football has become a monetary enterprise. Yes, but I think Gianni Infantino and his cohorts are overstepping their bounds. And if care is not taken, they could go down the way Seb Blatter left FIFA,” he told Luv FM.
Alagidede believes the proposal lacks support from key regions like UEFA and North America.
“You cannot commercialise everything and make it so expensive for people to find it very difficult to watch the game that they love.
How many people are the top echelons of our economists actually watch football? Very few come to Ghana and ask how many bank managers or top-level CEOs go to the stadium on Sundays. Very few of them. So I think we should not over-commercialise football.
“Look, you are not going to get a backing of UEFA. They’re not going to get a backing of North America. Look, the only continent that looks likely to back this kind of proposal could be CAF, because clearly you see that member countries need the money,” he stated.
He also argued that the funds received may not be used for their intended purposes, which further undermines the proposal’s validity.
“Truth also be told: when some of these monies arrive, they will end up not being used for the purposes for which they are meant.
“So for me, I think it’s something we shouldn’t back. It’s something that would really take a lot away from FIFA. And you saw how people were complaining about tickets at the last World Cup. The game is for the fans,” he added.
On Thursday, UEFA voted to boycott World Cups if the FIFA plan proceeded. Hours later, Concacaf, which hosted this year’s World Cup, released a statement also rejecting the proposals made by Infantino.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino had indicated the proposals would need a straight majority to go through – meaning 106 of its 211 members needed to vote in favour of the proposal.
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