At the UEFA congress in Amsterdam, Uefa president, Aleksander Ceferin staked the primacy of European soccer on a philosophy of ‘purpose above profit’ in a strong rebuke of the world federation’s expansionist policies under FIFA president, Gianni Infantino.
In his own address, Infantino had declared the need to build bridges, a clear reference to the Congress’ host city, but Ceferin didn’t heed the message, highlighting the growing divisions in the global game over the introduction of new competitions and the international match calendar.
“Should we be ashamed of our success?” asked Ceferin. “To be considered by many as one of the most important sports organisations in the world? Should we be ashamed that we generated almost four billion euros last season Should we be ashamed that we increased our revenue by 38% in a single season?”
For months, the two most powerful men in world soccer have been jockeying for position as Europe’s elite clubs seek to reshape the outlook of the game. In Amsterdam, they played to their bases, Infantino claiming the need for a ‘truly’ global game and Ceferin expressing his support for the European sports model.
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“The principles of solidarity, of promotion, relegation and open leagues are also non-negotiable,” said Ceferin. “Our principles, history, tradition and structure have enabled football to dominate other sports and enabled European football to dominate the rest of the world. Calling them into question would be a death sentence for our sport.”