Lib Dem leader claims FA and Uefa should quit Fifa over World Cup controversies
The Liberal Democrats have called on the Football Association and other European football bodies to withdraw from FIFA after the World Cup was marred by off-field controversy.
The party branded FIFA “corrupt beyond repair”, citing exorbitant ticket prices for fans and a controversial decision to reverse a US player’s suspension after lobbying by Donald Trump.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said Fifa boss Gianni Infantino had “crossed red line after red line”. He added: “It has allowed the likes of Donald Trump to dictate on-field decisions while allowing corporate greed to exploit fans at will and destroy the integrity of the beautiful game.”
Sir Ed called on UEFA to “move away from Fifa and start working with other confederations to create a clean, transparent governing body that puts fans first.”
European football’s governing body UEFA had previously criticized FIFA for overturning US forward Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban following his red card against Bosnia after Mr Trump personally lobbied Mr Infantino.
Even before the tournament, FIFA had come under wider attack for its use of so-called “dynamic pricing” in ticket sales; Mr Infantino had claimed the prices were in line with other sporting events in the US.
Fans also objected to the introduction of “hydration breaks”, which allowed broadcasters to earn extra advertising revenue.
Anna Sabine, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for culture, media and sport, said: “Football deserves much more than the cronyism, profiteering and corruption that Fifa currently offers.
“That’s enough.
“After all, it is the fans who try to cheer for their team and see the rules of the game being broken and their wallets being squeezed.”
The Liberal Democrats’ call came after the White House’s World Cup chief defended Argentine players who unfurled a banner claiming they owned the Falkland Islands after their victory over England on Wednesday.
FIFA’s rules ban the display of political messages during the World Cup and Downing Street has called on the governing body to investigate.
But Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House’s Fifa task force, said on Friday night that the US constitution’s protection of free speech meant the Argentina team had the right to “make these statements”.
