ZCZC
BSP-20
FBL-FIFA-HEALTH-VIRUS
FIFA to give members $150m of virus relief funds
LAUSANNE, April 24, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – FIFA will release $150 million (139
million euros) to its member football associations to help handle financial
troubles caused by the coronavirus, the global governing body said on Friday.
FIFA said that “all operational funding” for 2019 and 2020 would be
distributed amongst the 211 member associations in the next few days “as the
first step of a relief plan to assist the football community impacted by the
COVID-19 pandemic”.
Each national governing body will receive $500,000, that FIFA says would
normally be delivered “upon fulfillment of specific criteria”, but will
release those funds and any “remaining entitlement for 2019 and 2020”.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said that the funds were the “first step
of a far-reaching financial relief plan we are developing to respond to the
emergency across the whole football community”.
“It is FIFA’s duty to be there and support the ones that are facing acute
needs,” added Infantino. “This starts by providing immediate financial
assistance to our member associations, many of which are experiencing severe
financial distress.”
The funds come from the Forward 2.0 programme, which was launched in 2016
and will provide $1.746 billion (around 1.6 billion euros) in total over the
2019-2022 period.
Last month, FIFA announced the creation of a football aid fund but it has
since not given any additional details on its operation or scope.
BSS/AFP/MRU/2021hrs