Uefa had been highly critical of the proposals since they were first reported in the media on Tuesday.
In a powerful, lengthy statement released several hours after Fifa announced it had scrapped the plans, Uefa said:
-
It “cannot keep going on” with “secret schemes of fast-track timescales cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game”
-
Those responsible for the plan should be identified and held to account
-
It would devise a plan “with its associations and in close co-operation with other confederations” to make sure this “cannot occur again”
-
And it would work with partners to “propose a new way of distributing resources through the existing Fifa Forward programme”
It also accused Infantino of “failing to use associations’ money for the benefit of the game”.
“We must start to use some of that money that is sat idle in Fifa’s bank account to deliver the kickstart that the grassroots and the wider game need,” the statement added.
“But we don’t need to sell off the family silver to pay for it.
“This is a victory for the whole game. But it must not be the end of the story.
“The proposal has gone. The task of rebuilding trust in Fifa has only just begun.”
Fifa has yet to respond to Uefa’s statement.
The Football Association said it supports Uefa’s position, adding: “It is time for a full and robust review of Fifa’s leadership and governance to ensure that the global game is run transparently.”
Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian Football Federation, said it was “reassuring to be part of a strong and united Uefa throughout this process”.
“We must acknowledge the entire framework of international football cooperation was unnecessarily put at risk in pursuit of individual interests rather than the best interests of the game,” a statement read.
“Going forward, all our efforts must be directed towards improving governance.
“This cannot end as merely another power struggle conducted behind closed doors or through bilateral discussions.”
