{"text":[[{"start":7.8,"text":"Fifa says it remains “committed” to spinning out a commercial entity and selling a stake to external investors, while opening the door to amending its plans in the face of fierce opposition from across football."}],[{"start":21.04,"text":"World football’s governing body announced its intention to set up Fifa Forward Enterprise and sell a 20 per cent stake in the new venture on Tuesday. The deal, spearheaded by Fifa president Gianni Infantino, would value the new commercial entity at $20bn."}],[{"start":35.4,"text":"Following public rejections of the proposals on Thursday by regional governing bodies Uefa and Concacaf, Fifa said in a statement early on Friday morning that it would press ahead and that “nobody is selling football”."}],[{"start":51.4,"text":"“We respect the feedback and concern aired in public and reaffirm our commitment to an open and democratic consultation,” it said."}],[{"start":59.72,"text":"“Our planned consultation process was disrupted by incorrect media reports. We will proceed with this consultation process to ensure that each [member association] has the ability to express its vote based on facts.”"}],[{"start":73.6,"text":"It added that it was “open for discussion” on all elements of the deal. “This can include approval, rejection or amendment in their entirety or individually,” Fifa said."}],[{"start":84.46,"text":"On Thursday, the 55 members of Uefa, which runs the game in Europe, said they would boycott all Fifa competitions, including the World Cup, in protest unless Fifa abandoned the plan “in its entirety”."}],[{"start":97.52,"text":"Hours later, Concacaf, Uefa’s counterpart in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, said it rejected the plan and would push Fifa to explore alternatives."}],[{"start":107.82,"text":"The Asian Football Confederation announced it was “deeply concerned that Fifa’s unilateral actions appear to undermine the foundations of continental football”. It said it would push Fifa for more time and a more thorough consultation of the proposals."}],[{"start":122.04,"text":"Fifa’s statement suggested it believes the pushback from the big confederations was not fully representative of the feeling among their members."}],[{"start":131.28,"text":"“Everyone has the right to express their opposition and to seek further clarification but no single entity can claim to represent all 211 MAs around the world,” Fifa said."}],[{"start":141.24,"text":"The plan caught many in football, including some senior Fifa executives, off guard. Concacaf was among those that said it had learnt of the investment proposals through the media."}],[{"start":151.54,"text":"Many have also complained about Fifa’s rapid timeline — it has given members until September 19 to approve the plan to sell a stake in the new business. Thrive Eternal — a fund run by Joshua Kushner, whose brother Jared Kushner is married to President Donald Trump’s daughter — has been lined up as the lead investor."}],[{"start":170.3,"text":"The direct link between approval and funding has also raised concerns. Fifa has said members will receive an immediate $20mn payment if they back the plan, plus a further $20mn in funding over the next four years."}],[{"start":185,"text":"Uefa said on Thursday that Fifa’s handling of the process was both “irresponsible and indefensible” and accused Infantino of “governance by intimidation”."}],[{"start":194.76,"text":"“This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of Fifa’s duty as the custodian of world football,” it said."}],[{"start":206.87,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1785488030_9313.mp3"}