FIFA Protest Spreads With Real Madrid, Juve Opposing Plan
(Bloomberg) — Opposition to FIFA’s spinoff plans has reached the level of powerful clubs including Juventus and Real Madrid, a potential blow to tournaments such as the Club World Cup.
These clubs, alongside other teams, contend that FIFA lacks authority to spin off its commercial business and sell a stake to an outside investor, asserting that it does not own the sport and relies on the clubs to sustain its business, according to people familiar with the matter.
The clubs argue that they own player rights, fund player salaries, and absorb the risks associated with player injuries. In response, representatives from both Real Madrid and Juventus have held discussions with other European clubs and the regional governing body, UEFA, the people added, asking not to be named discussing private information.
The two clubs join German powerhouses Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, which have already publicly criticized the plan. UEFA, the European football federation, has led opposition against FIFA and threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments.
FIFA’s main revenue source is the World Cup but clubs obtain little or no direct benefit from it as they lend their players to national teams without any financial compensation. FIFA needs support from clubs to hold the Club World Cup, a major growth project and part of FIFA’s plans to grow revenue outside of World Cup years.
The bigger FIFA Club World Cup, held in 2025, had a $1 billion prize pot shared by 32 clubs. The revamped tournament put it in direct conflict with UEFA’s Champions League, one of the most lucrative footballing competitions.
Another point of contention is that player schedules have been overloaded in the last few years with more competitions, leading to complaints from player unions. Clubs, who pay player wages, have been pressing to limit international tournaments because they lead to player fatigue and injuries.
“There is a strong consensus among the member associations on this matter,” Hans-Joachim Watzke, chairman of Borussia Dortmund and a major figure in German football, said in a statement earlier. “If European football stands united in opposing these plans, it carries significant weight.”
Watzke said he had held conversations with Aleksander Ceferin, the head of UEFA, over the past few days. “Many in European football view FIFA’s plans as an outright attack on the sport,” he added. “I share this view.”
FIFA’s proposal plans to transfer major commercial and tournament operations into a new entity called FIFA Forward Enterprise. The vehicle would initially be valued at about $20 billion, with FIFA seeking to raise as much as $4.2 billion from outside investors while retaining sole control through majority representation on its board.
In 2021, when the Spanish league sold its commercial and television rights to buyout firm CVC Capital Partners, Real Madrid – the club with the most European Champions League titles – and its archrival Barcelona FC emerged as the primary holdouts. Both teams opposed the agreement, contending that selling rights prior to their distribution was illogical.
A representative for Real Madrid and Juventus declined to comment.
Earlier on Friday, Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to FIFA’s President Gianni Infantino, announced that he was quitting the organization in opposition to the plans.
–With assistance from Thomas Gualtieri.
(Additional context throughout.)
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