Asian confederation rebukes FIFA in blow to private investment plan

July 30 : The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Thursday condemned FIFA for a lack of consultation over its plan to bring private investors into soccer's World Cup and demanded more time to consider it in a blow to the global governing body's hopes of getting the proposal through. 

In a scathing letter to the continent's 47 member associations, which has been seen by Reuters, AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa also warned the proposal would never succeed without the support of all of football's regional blocs, in an acknowledgment of Europe's staunch opposition. 

"The AFC notes with great concern and disappointment that it was not consulted by FIFA at any level prior to the public announcement of this proposal, and nor has it received any detailed governance, financial or legal analysis of the proposal and its potential repercussions, which is totally unacceptable," the Bahraini wrote.

"Furthermore, the AFC is deeply concerned that FIFA’s unilateral actions appear to undermine the very foundations of Continental football, which are based on solidarity, cooperation and transparency."

The AFC's forthright criticism heaps further pressure on FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has spearheaded the contentious plan to create a $20 billion subsidiary to run the World Cup and its other events, while offering minority stakes to private investors.

The plan blindsided regional and national soccer associations, and triggered a fierce backlash from Europe's soccer governing body UEFA, which rejected it outright.

CONCACAF, the regional bloc for North America, Central America and the Caribbean, also criticised FIFA this week for a lack of consultation.

Infantino offered FIFA's 211 member associations $40 million each if