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BSP-13
FBL-FIFA-GER-GRINDEL-INFANTINO
German football boss blasts Infantino over lack of transparency
BERLIN, Dec 19, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – German Football Federation president
Reinhard Grindel has launched a withering attack on FIFA president Gianni
Infantino over a lack of transparency on proposals for new competitions in an
interview with Sportbuzzer.de published on Wednesday.
“With this lack of transparency on these questions he is reinforcing the
prejudices against FIFA,” said Grindel.
“It is why I am insisting with my UEFA colleagues in the FIFA Council on
the creation of a task force where all the information can be laid out on the
table and we can determine with honesty if we need other competitions and if
so what format they should take.”
Infantino has long envisaged the creation of an international nations
league and a Club World Cup expanded to 24 teams. In November he told AFP
that it was the best way to fight the possibility of a breakaway Super
League.
The vague proposal to sell FIFA rights for $25 billion over 12 years to
finance the club tournament also concerns Grindel.
“I would be satisfied if FIFA launched an open process of discussion and
if the principals concerned, that is the clubs, the leagues and the
federations were involved in the discussions,” he said.
Grindel’s concerns echo those made by UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin at
the start of December.
“We still have a lot of difficulties with these two proposals,” said
Ceferin who was particularly ambivalent about the Club World Cup which would
be “financed by a fund whose origins and names of supporters are unknown.”
BSS/AFP/BZC/1855HRS