Council of Europe: UEFA's decision to boycott the World Cup is not related to football

The decision of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to boycott tournaments under the auspices of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) is not related to football, but to the regulation of the organization's activities.

As reported by BAKU.WS with reference to Politico, this was stated by Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset.

"This is not a football story. This is a story about rules. About who writes them. About whether they are applied. And about who can change them," he said.

Berset also noted that "football does not need a shareholder," but rather "it needs rules." Moreover, he stated that the recent World Cup "revealed governance problems," including the reversal of the suspension of U.S. national team forward Folarin Balogun following a phone call from U.S. President Donald Trump to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

It was previously reported that FIFA President Gianni Infantino plans to sell a stake of commercial rights to the World Cup to private investors. FIFA stated that this scheme could attract $4.2 billion. It was noted that the organization had consulted with individuals close to the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. This initiative was widely criticized and condemned by officials, federations, and other organizations. Later, UEFA announced a boycott of tournaments under the auspices of FIFA. This decision was supported by all 55 members of the organization. This proposal was also rejected by members of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF).