Whether or not you like football, and whether or not you agree with the motto, ‘created by the poor, stolen by the rich’, there’s little denying the growing resistance globally to alleged moves to further commercialise the sport.
From banners held up in stadia around the UK with that very motto, to the determined stance adopted by UEFA against FIFA’s proposals to transfer some interests to private investors, plainly, lovers of the beautiful game are not having it!
It would be difficult to find a major international sport without extensive commercial involvement. Player salaries, endorsements, and sponsorship all come from private investment to some degree, which makes this far from black and white, yet 55 European nations have come together to refuse to play in any FIFA event if the World Cup is ‘sold off’.
Kazakhstan is one of those nations, and according to Tengri News, has joined UEFA in saying it will decline participation, backing the stance that the organisation has made clear in a statement.
“UEFA and its 55 member associations stand as one. We unanimously and unequivocally reject FIFA’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors. The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product. It is one of football’s greatest sporting legacies. It has been built over generations by players, national teams and supporters across every continent.”
Although Kazakhstan is primarily in Asia, it also has extensive territory in the continent of Europe, as a result of which it is fully eligible to play tournaments as a member of UEFA, and has done since gaining membership in 2002.
Some commentators claim that through a new subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, FIFA wishes to capitalise on the immense profitability of the sport globally upon which it stands to make as much as $4 billion, some arguing that this crosses the line and threatens to ‘relegate’ the greatest show on Earth to a mere ‘investment product’.
The Kazakhstan Football Federation has added its voice to those of a combined 55 countries in Europe whose football federations, fans, and players believe that this should not be allowed to happen.
UEFA’s Instagram made it clear to its 6.6 million followers, plus to millions more who care about football.
The World Cup is not for sale!
