Aug 26 (Reuters) – UEFA is set to drop its threat to boycott FIFA tournaments after receiving assurances that plans to sell stakes in the World Cup and other major competitions will not be revived, sources aware of the discussions told Reuters on Wednesday.
The move followed FIFA’s decision in July to withdraw a proposal that triggered opposition from UEFA’s 55 member associations, which had agreed to boycott FIFA competitions after details of the plan emerged last month.
UEFA officials are expected to tell the governing body’s executive committee and the presidents of most of its member associations at a meeting in Monaco on Thursday that the conditions for lifting the boycott have been met, the sources said.
UEFA had sought both the withdrawal of the proposal and assurances that similar plans would not be pursued again.
“It’s not a UEFA defeat, rather the reality of avoiding hurting young players once in a lifetime opportunity. The actions and insistence on change will continue,” a source familiar with the discussions told Reuters.
While the immediate threat of a boycott is expected to be lifted, UEFA is likely to continue its campaign against FIFA President Gianni Infantino over the sell-off proposal, the sources said. The issue is expected to be discussed at the Monaco meeting.
Teams are preparing for the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland which is due to start on September 5.
(Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru and Julien Pretot, editing by Ed Osmond)
