DISCUSSION: UEFA Threatens FIFA Boycott Over Plans for WC Private Finance; Newcastle Utd. in Disarray; Italy Appoint Mancini

With von Troschke looking for ancient familial lands on the European mainland, only two are left to discuss the world football crisis. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:23

Hi everyone, welcome back to World Football, etc., where today we are coming together for a quick update uh on the conversation uh about the whole FIFA selling off for profit stakes in the World Cup fiasco. Uh and especially today's development that after a highly charged emergency meeting with UEFA countries, the announcement that if FIFA didn't doesn't shelve their plans, that UEFA will boycott FIFA events and tournaments. So to discuss all this and more, I am joined by Declan Link. Hello, Declan. Hello, John. Good afternoon. How are you today? I'm good, thank you, but um all the while surprised with the fact that every day almost brings uh another crazy story from the uh from the realms of FIFA Dom.

SPEAKER_00 1:07

Again, fascinating stuff, but you know, because we all love the game, it uh it is is is definitely seems to be part of a cunning bigger picture plan by uh uh Gianni Infantino, Uncle Johnny. And the timing is really interesting, that it's right after the World Cup in his world, in his bubble, it was an incredible success. The vast majority of the world, apart from if you park the football to one side, everything else smelt of rats. And for him to come up with this uh um new subsidiary called uh FIFA Forward Enterprise, FFE. It's a terrible name. I'm sure they spent I'm sure they spent billions on a uh on a marketing agency that they have a relationship with to come up with something like that. Um, but basically that's bundling what it is in in sort of layman's terms, it's it's bundling all the commercial rights tied to uh World Cups, you know, any type of World Cup events, uh my understanding is it's not just the men's, it's the women's and other FIFA events, broadcast sponsorship, ticketing and licensing. And and basically FIFA are going to sell up to 20% stake uh into this entity to outside private investors. Uh the the the reports I said valuing it at 20 billion. Now, if you if you look at the developments today, from my vantage point, if it's a game of of uh you know the the the the UEFA and FIFA pushing each other um just to see who's gonna break early. But if uh uh UEFA um you know having had that urgent meeting of its 55 member federation uh federations today and they actually agreed apparently to boycott all of the FIFA competitions in protest for the plan, if they actually follow through and and and do boycott, I just can't understand why outside investors, private investors, would then want to jump onto the bandwagon and um uh you know that what what's going to be left of the World Cup if it if there is a ban by UEFA, apparently maybe some of the Asian members, and then some CONCACAF, which I find hard to believe, uh some of their 41 member associations, they they they also came up with a stand today which is not outright rejection, but they're not happy about it. So I I just don't get maybe you you being a learned learned more uh academic intelligent man than myself, John. If you had uh a couple of billion into to invest and none of the European teams were in it, what would you do?

SPEAKER_01 3:53

Yeah, I mean it makes no sense because the the the heart, the sort of the economic body, uh whether we like it or not, of um of FIFA tournaments, as as evidenced by by results and by following and by quality, of course, is is UEFA and the European nations. I say it doesn't mean that you have to like it, but that it just is what it what it is. As you say, my understanding is that CONCAF and the Asian Football Federation also have expressed misgivings. Um Mebol in South America and the African Football Federation are supportive of Gianni in Infantino. They're very much uh sort of standing behind him, but it looks as though the Asian Federation may have a sort of um a sort of a uh a critical vote, a balance, if you like, of um uh on the uh on the balance of power with uh with what's coming up. The the issue, of course, is twofold. On the one hand, and and incredible the fact that nobody at all knew about this until it was announced to the press, but the issue, it seems, is not just the selling off of the World Cup uh for profit for investors, but also just how it's been done. The fact that there's been no due process, there's been no sort of information release and uh sort of a discussion and a and a voting through. So I think that I mean that they obviously those two things are related, but they're also sort of separate issues. So I wonder whether it also gives Infantino some wiggle room to then sort of bring it up to to discussion. But um, it's one of those things that even a few years ago you would never have thought possible. But now, given the shape and the sort of series of events that we've seen unfold, especially vis-a-vis this World Cup in the last sort of uh year or so, is almost entirely logical as regards the way that FIFA is pushing the international game at the moment.

SPEAKER_00 5:39

Yeah, and I also think there's a uh a big uh negative shadow because uh this company Thrive Eternal, which is the US venture capital firm founded by by uh Jared Kushner's brother Joshua, has actually been pro proposed to lead the investor group uh working alongside JP Morgan. So obviously, you know again it it it questions that whole relationship between Trump and Uncle Johnny um uh and and and uh why they would be involved. So um it's gonna it's gonna be fascinating seeing what this happened, see how this all plays out, because obviously uh the the vast majority of football fans around the world um uh just want, as they say, to keep the game as it was. Um uh however there's so much money being thrown at these smaller countries and uh and ultimately there's 211 member associations and uh Gibraltar is Gibraltar actual member of FIFA, John? It is now, yeah. Yeah, okay. Say Gibraltar Gibraltar, Cape Verde, uh, Curaça, they all all have exactly the same weight from a vote perspective as the uh World Cup champions, Spain, as Argentina, as England, as France, as Germany. Uh so uh there's also a completely separate question as well, as that maybe Johnny has gone too early here and it actually all blows up in his face. Uh there is a pathway that he ends up losing the confidence of um the the member nations and the confederations, and and then uh the two people who have been standing in the backwards, in the back in the back shadows, lurking, lurking, uh looking to potentially uh take over from um from Gianni Infantino, but not really showing their hand so far, which is um Alexander Sefrin, the U UEFA president, and Sheikh Salman, uh who is the uh AFC president, the Asian um president. Uh they both have in the past expressed an interest in in running FIFA. And, you know, as we've continually said throughout the podcast in the last year, uh that you know, uh that sometimes there's there's different opinions on what their their strengths, their weaknesses, whether or not they're good, they're bad. But you know, Seth Blatter right now is like my Mother Teresa. The way she with the way he is perceived as her nowadays. So whatever bad stuff they've done, whatever skeletons they have in the closet, surely, surely, surely they can be better than what Chiani's doing right now.

SPEAKER_01 8:30

Yeah, I mean it's um it is just completely dystopic, I think, what is taking place at the moment across the sort of the international footballing um landscape. And and as you say, I think if you know we if we're looking at the glass half-full component here, then I think the fact that we are now on a precipice, I think, means that uh there is at least a the possibility for a shake-up. So it will be interesting to see what um what develops over the course of the next few days.

SPEAKER_00 8:54

And I would I would like to see John, you know, this is all blowing up this week. Uh I would it in the same way that the um the European Super League blew up a couple of times, and then um you know in on the back of our conversation before we started broadcasting about the the the wildfires around the world, hopefully the the the the water will be doused on the flames of of this plan very quickly in the same way that the European Super League uh came and went very quickly through decisive action uh by the clubs in Europe. Hopefully the same thing will happen through um UEFA in particular uh being the cheerleader and and and and and trying to bring as many people from other and many other countries from other federations on board to to push and pull against this proposal from infantina.

SPEAKER_01 9:44

Um yeah, for sure. Uh obviously we'll follow that over the course of the next few days and and weeks. Just a couple of quick thoughts on other topics. Um uh Declan, if we can just start with Newcastle United. I know that you and I have spoken about Lib Golf and Saudi Arabian investment sort of separately. Um Eddie Howe uh left the managerial position at Newcastle today, and um after five pretty successful years, really, and Newcastle's first trophy in 30 odd years in 2025 of the Karabakh uh Cup. But of course, behind Newcastle at the moment is all this Saudi Arabian money. But it seems as though, I mean, the fact that they are selling all of their best players at the moment, and um and of course the sort of the the ongoing collapse of Live Golf, that um the Saudi Arabian sort of sporting uh uh sports washing experiment is is taking a pretty significant downturn.

SPEAKER_00 10:36

Yes, uh they there's obviously in fact uh I think you you could tell that something was up as you went into the last third of the 2025-26 season, because Newcastle, I think they ended up having a record number of losses over the course of the season. Arguably they did well getting into uh the knockout rounds of the Champions League. But anyone who had who had a you know a good solid head on them could tell that things weren't right on the pitch, things weren't right with Eddie Haug, and he got sick as well towards the end of the season. So when I saw yesterday that they had lost that game to Bristol City 4-1, I was half expecting today to hear that uh he'd either been released from his job or that he had um resigned because they're saying it's not a sacking, they're saying it's a reversal, it's been in the pipeline for two weeks, and anyhow it's revered there still, and he is such a good guy that uh that he's been he's been you know he he basically wanted to leave, want to have a break from football, and there is no bad blood, there's no acrimony. Um but the bigger picture is with Liv with uh Newcastle United, it definitely seems as though back in Saudi Arabia, back in Riyadh, they are seriously questioning uh their strategy on the sports washing and everything else. So it'll be very interesting in the build-up to 2034 when they're hosting the World Cup in Saudi Arabia uh to see after they retreat and they strategize what happens to their interests in football and other global sports. Because in the world of boxing, obviously they've completely revolutionised that and everyone loves each other at the moment, and some great fights all the time simply because they're throwing so much money at that, and that all the promoters are getting on famously. Um, I do feel a bit sorry for the uh for the Geordie fans for the Tunami. Uh, you know, it it went back to that whole protracted uh uh transfer with uh Alexander Isaac uh last summer, and then you know the writing's been on the wall when they got rid of uh Anthony Gordon uh Tonali, and it just seems as though any day now we're gonna hear that Bruno Gumaraz is gonna be an Arsenal player. So I'm not surprised that he's walked away. Um, and it'll be interesting to see, and it's it's a sad indictment of the FA, and you know, they're talking out of both sides of their mouth how they want to promote English coaches, they want to promote English coaches, and because there's so many so many teams in the Premier League in particular, foreign-owned, particularly American-owned, these obviously being South Arabia, that they're bringing in a 38-year-old German coach. So, what message does that send to the uh to the up-and-coming English coaches?

SPEAKER_01 13:18

Yeah, it's very curious, isn't it? And also I think it's worth saying that, of course, this is in the just a few days after the passing of Kevin Keegan. And um, I mean, Newcastle fans are just amongst the finest in the in the world and amongst the sort of most committed, and there's a clear identity to Newcastle, which is just continually sort of being used, co-opted, and um, and and broken down. So difficult time for sure to be uh to be a Newcastle fan. Continues to be a difficult time as well to be an Italian uh supporter. We obviously spoke recently about which direction uh the Italian uh uh football association was going to go in. Well, it seems as though they've gone back uh back to the past with the signing of Roberto Mancini, who was apologetic in his uh initial press conference about the fact that he'd been he'd got the job once again.

SPEAKER_00 14:07

Yeah, I mean at the end of the day, he he and I'm not sure if this is the correct expression, he sort of walked out on them after he had uh you know won the Euros back in 2021, uh chasing the uh the the Saudi Arabian currency. Uh but it just seems as though uh the the the it the Italian Football Federation, like a punch-drunk boxer, are staggering from corner to corner. Uh and this has been a really messy search, uh and not a good look at all on the Italian authorities, with obviously the stuff we spoke about a few podcasts ago with Pep and Carlo Ancelotti. Um and Antonio Conte was in the mix. I think I might remember rightly when I had my last comments on the state of the of the search, Andrea Perlo had had emerged at that time as a as the front runner, but he subsequently pulled out due to the controversy over his ties with the Russian betting company. Then Paolo Maldini set down, uh stepped down after Claudia Renieri became the new technical um director. So um the the uh football uh Italian president Giovanni Malago, uh he was the one who stepped up and made the call. And you know, it he's not gonna have much of a of a honeymoon, a Mancini, man, Mancini, because you know, as with all the top European nations, the uh the Nations Cup games are gonna come very, very quickly, and they're playing Belgium, Turkey, and France. So it's not like they've got an easy group there.

SPEAKER_01 15:42

No, not at all. A very consequential uh matches. Um a word for Claudio Ranieri looking incredible at uh 74 years old. Uh he just seems to be sort of um he's obviously on the back of a summer holiday, but uh yeah, he is positively glowing. Uh one of my favourite characters in football is Ranieri, I think.

SPEAKER_00 16:01

Well, I've I've always thought, John, you know, you have a very Italian look to yourself. And if you could get some barber to cut off the scruffy beard and and and have a little dress code from some Milan uh menswear shop, you too could could cut the cut the the the swathe on the side as an Italian football manager. Just uh food for thought there.

SPEAKER_01 16:24

Thanks, Declan. Yeah, uh Debonair Italian fashionista air is definitely not something which sits sits uh sits close to me. But um thanks for those thoughts, um Declan. As as always, obviously we're at the moment we're having uh some a few quiet days from the from the podcast. We'll uh we'll keep discussing uh important information and news that that comes in, but we'll be back soon with a whole new series of um uh itineraries and calendars and events to to share with with everyone for the moment. Thank you, Declan.

SPEAKER_00 16:51

Yeah, thank you, John.