Amidst all the controversy surrounding FIFA, the World Cup and Gianni Infantino at the moment, Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has given his honest verdict
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso during a press conference
Xabi Alonso during a press conference(Image: Ayush Kumar)
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Xabi Alonso has slammed FIFA's planned proposals to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors and insisted "football has to be for the people".
FIFAare planning to form a company that will oversee the men's and women's competitions, including the World Cup and the Club World Cup. UEFA have made their stance perfectly clear, with the European football governing body's members voting unanimously to boycott the 2030 World Cup in response to the controversial proposal.
Concacaf, the North American federation, also disagrees with the plan. Alonso, who won the World Cup with Spain in 2010, believes the competition has to remain for the people. Speaking ahead of Chelsea's pre-season clash with Tottenham in Sydney, Alonso said: "I think that football has to be for the people, not in private hands.
"I think that the way we love it is the way and we have seen a great World Cup and some things that stay in the same way, is good, to defend the interest of all the people."
UEFA's decision to boycott the World Cup if the pay-off plan proposal proceeds was a massive bombshell in the world of football. Alonso appears to be on the same page as UEFA: "I think that it's a common feeling of football people that we want something that we keep in the hands of everyone, that it's for all the people.
"So hopefully it will not happen and we will keep the game as attractive and as authentic as we like it. That's why it creates these emotions, these that we've seen in the World Cup, we've seen in the Champions League, we've seen in the Premier League, in all the competitions because it's for everyone."
FIFA denied claims the governing body is trying to "sell football" in a statement released on Friday. FIFA went onto say: "this [selling football] is not something FIFA would ever entertain."