Sheikh Salman says football’s future cannot be decided by surprise after FIFA plan U-turn

Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa has welcomed FIFA’s decision to withdraw its controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, while calling for greater consultation and transparency over any future plans affecting the governance of world football.

The president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said the withdrawal created an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of a consultative approach to major decisions affecting the sport’s future.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Sheikh Salman urged FIFA to present any similar initiatives in future to the confederations, the FIFA Council, national member associations and all relevant stakeholders “at the appropriate time and with the highest levels of transparency”.

“The future of global football must always be shaped through proper consultation, collective dialogue and respect for the established governance structures of our game,” said Sheikh Salman.

He added that the AFC was ready to support any initiative capable of strengthening the unity of the football family, contributing to the development of the sport worldwide and delivering tangible benefits to all parties.

The AFC had previously expressed its anger after FIFA unveiled the idea without consulting the continental confederations.

Sheikh Salman also thanked the AFC’s national member associations, praising the unity and solidarity they had shown during the dispute.

“I am proud that all our national member associations stood united and placed their trust in the AFC to seek answers on their behalf regarding a matter of great importance to the future governance of global football,” he said.

“I thank them for their patience, solidarity and unity, and reaffirm that the AFC will always act in their best interests.”

FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced the withdrawal of FIFA Forward Enterprise early on Saturday, following a growing wave of opposition from several confederations and senior figures in football during the previous days.

Infantino said in an official statement that the project had been intended to “provide a basis for continuing to strengthen FIFA’s member associations and supporting football across the world, particularly in countries most in need”.

He also stressed that the proposal had always been conditional on receiving the support of a majority of FIFA’s national member associations.

According to Infantino, any implementation would have involved consultation with national associations, the FIFA Council, the continental confederations and other stakeholders.

The plan had proposed the creation of a new company to oversee commercial activities and organise tournaments, with the possibility of selling a stake to private-sector investors.

That proposal faced increasing resistance after its details emerged. UEFA rejected it outright and warned that it could boycott all FIFA competitions if the project went ahead. The AFC and Concacaf later joined the opposition.

The debate also led to the resignation of American Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to Infantino, in protest at the project. Frenchman Kevin Lamour, FIFA’s chief operating officer, also criticised the plan publicly.

Infantino’s decision to withdraw the proposal brought an end to one of the most contentious projects in FIFA’s history, although Sheikh Salman’s comments underline the continuing demand from the AFC for a more inclusive decision-making process within the global game.