FIFA have released a detailed statement on its plan to cope with the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the planet.
World soccer’s governing body have pledged $10 million to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund set up by the World Health Organization (WHO) and president Gianni Infantino is currently in discussions with leaders from all of FIFA’s confederations about the future dates for continental competitions.
FIFA said it ‘accepts’ the decisions by UEFA and CONMEBOL to move their flagship tournaments, EURO 2020 and Copa America 2020, to the summer of 2021 due to coronavirus. With the new expanded Club World Cup set to take place during the summer of 2021 there is obviously a lot for FIFA to figure out but Infantino is eager to make the right decisions in these troubling times.
“Finding appropriate and fair solutions at global level is imperative. This requires unity, solidarity and a shared sense of responsibility and we need to think of all those around the world potentially impacted by our decisions,” Infantinio said. “With this in mind, FIFA has constantly been discussing with confederations, member associations and other stakeholders from around the world, also bearing in mind that firstly health and secondly sporting solidarity are paramount considerations for the world of football.”
Infantino then revealed the following next steps that FIFA will take amid the coronavirus pandemic:
- to accept the postponements of the CONMEBOL 2020 Copa América and the UEFA EURO 2020 to the June/July of 2021;
- to decide at a later stage – when there is more clarity on the situation – when to reschedule the new FIFA Club World Cup, later in 2021, in 2022 or in 2023;
- to discuss with the Chinese FA and the Chinese Government the postponement of the new FIFA Club World Cup from 2021 in order to minimise any negative impact; and
- to discuss the impact of these changes on the calendar with the confederations, Member Associations and other stakeholders and work on the current International Match Calendar with the objective of finding appropriate solutions for everyone to be proposed as soon as the circumstances allow, hopefully before the end of April.
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