UEFA are reported to have sent a letter to FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, as the aftermath of the failed FFE plans continue
UEFA havei issued a legal threat to FIFA president Gianni Infantino(Image: Mike Egerton/PA Wire)
UEFA have threatened under-fire FIFA president Gianni Infantino with legal action – and warned him against destroying any documents relating to the failed World Cup ‘sale’ plan.
Controversial news emerged earlier this week that FIFA had plans to sell shares in the organisation’s tournaments, which would have included the men’s and women’s World Cups, as well as the Club World Cup. The plans were met with widespread criticism, with UEFA being joined by CONCACAF and AFC in making it clear they were against such plans, which were going to be called the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).
UEFA, following a meeting with its 55 member associations, threatened to boycott all FIFA competitions if the proposals put forward by the governing body and Infantino went ahead. The backlash eventually led to Infantino releasing a statement which confirmed the controversial scheme was to be scrapped, citing the ‘division’ within football as a reason.
The Telegraph has now claimed to have seen a letter which has been sent by UEFA to FIFA, as well as potential investors Joshua Kushner, Greg Maffei, JP Morgan and OpenEconomics. It has been reported that UEFA has threatened legal action and has warned FIFA not to destroy any evidence relating to the failed FFE proposals.
“Uefa hereby gives formal notice that it is actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints (together, the “proceedings”) arising out of and in connection with the FFE plan proposed by Fifa and all related matters as further described below,” a letter written by UEFA and seen by the Telegraph, says.
“You and Fifa are required to take immediate steps to identify, locate, and preserve all documents and electronically stored information described in this notice that are in your or Fifa’s possession, custody, or control.
“These obligations arise independently of any internal retention policy you or your organisation maintain and supersede any routine document destruction or deletion policies that would otherwise apply.”
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The letter continued: “Uefa – as well as other confederations, Fifa member associations and football stakeholders – has strongly condemned the FFE plan in the strongest terms as fundamentally incompatible with the proper governance of football.
“Given that proceedings are reasonably anticipated, you are obliged to preserve all relevant materials (as defined below) with immediate effect.”
In another warning to FIFA, UEFA are quoted as adding in the letter: “Uefa puts you on formal notice that any destruction, deletion, alteration, concealment, or loss of relevant materials following receipt of this notice – or following any earlier date on which you were, or reasonably should have been, aware that proceedings were anticipated – may constitute spoliation of evidence.
“Uefa reserves all rights to seek appropriate remedies in the proceedings for any such destruction or loss, including applications for adverse inference orders, sanctions, and costs against the responsible party or parties.”
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