*This content was translated by AI.
While FIFA President Gianni Infantino faces intense criticism, some small football associations remain reluctant to speak out publicly. The reason cited is their high dependence on FIFA grants.
Reuters reported on the 12th (Korean time) that "Alex Dabani, a former Papua New Guinea national team player, argued that some small football associations remain silent amid internal FIFA conflicts due to fear of losing essential operational funding from FIFA," according to the report.
The global football community is currently experiencing significant conflict over the 'FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE)' initiative, which In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) proposed and later withdrew.
Previously, In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) pushed to establish a new legal entity called FFE to manage commercial rights for FIFA tournaments including the World Cup, with plans to sell shares to private investors.
The plan involved selling up to 20% of the entity, valued at approximately $20 billion (about 28 trillion won), to raise up to $4.2 billion (about 6 trillion won).
However, criticism arose that major plans were pushed forward without providing sufficient information to continental confederations and FIFA insiders. Facing strong backlash, FIFA ultimately withdrew the sale plan.
Since then, numerous football organizations centered in Europe have publicly voiced criticism of In Pan-ti-no (Chairman)'s actions.
In contrast, small football associations in the Oceania region remain relatively quiet.
Regarding this silence, Dabani stated, "I do not believe the silence observed in the Oceania region stems from indifference."
He continued, "FIFA development grants amount to nearly the entire operating budget for some football associations in Oceania. In such an environment, this reaction is entirely understandable. They are placed in a very difficult position."
Dabani, who previously served as Deputy Secretary-General of the Football Federation Australia, now works as a lawyer and sports administrator.
He noted, "On one hand, large continental confederations are speaking out very actively regarding this proposal, while on the other hand, there exists a situation where expressing any opinion or forming a stance could itself jeopardize funding."
He further emphasized, "That money is their livelihood, so they do not wish to risk it."
In fact, small football associations in Oceania have greatly benefited from expanded FIFA financial support under In Pan-ti-no (Chairman)'s leadership.
According to Dabani, the grant amount, which was previously around $2 million to $3 million (approximately 2.8 billion to 4.2 billion won) per four-year cycle, increased to as much as $8 million (about 11 billion won) in recent cycles during In Pan-ti-no (Chairman)'s tenure.
These funds are not used solely for football association operations. In Papua New Guinea, a new national football center was constructed using FIFA grants, with In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) personally attending the opening ceremony in 2023. A new football center has also been built in the Solomon Islands, and a new stadium was constructed in Vanuatu.
For small Oceania associations lacking their own revenue base and football infrastructure, FIFA grants represent core capital that sustains and develops not just the association but the entire national football system.
What Dabani criticized is not the grants themselves, but the structure through which they are distributed.
This is because FIFA development grants do not constitute an 'entitlement' that each member association is guaranteed by right, but rather carry a character of being disbursed at FIFA's discretion.
Consequently, for small member associations whose grant amounts significantly expanded under Infantino's leadership, openly confronting the FIFA leadership could itself become a considerable burden. If they were to raise objections against In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) and FIFA, they might face consequences regarding their grants.
Dabani criticized, "There is no principle anywhere explicitly stating that FIFA grants are an entitlement each football association should naturally receive."
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*This content was translated by AI.
