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UEFA vice-president Gabriele Gravina has launched a fierce attack on Gianni Infantino over FIFA's proposal to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors. The former FIGC chief warned that European nations could even boycott the tournament as resistance to the $20 billion commercial deal continues to grow.

Gravina attacks Infantino over secret deal

Gravina strongly criticised Infantino over a secretive project to sell a minority stake in the World Cup. Speaking to Italian newspaper Repubblica, Gravina condemned Infantino's "arrogance" and accused him of treating world football like his own private property. Gravina said it was outrageous that the $20 billion (£15bn) commercial plan emerged through the international media without any prior discussion with European governing bodies. The Italian official warned that football cannot be viewed only as a profitable business opening for rich outside investors.

European World Cup boycott a possibility

The widening divide between FIFA and European football authorities could bring unprecedented consequences, including a possible boycott of future World Cups. Gravina said European federations are holding urgent talks to work out a common response to the controversial proposal.

"A project that was reported by the international press, but which FIFA had not discussed with anyone," Gravina said. "This is truly unacceptable. Football is not just business.

"It's even worse (than the Super League). They're selling off football. But football isn't a private asset that you can sell to the highest bidder, how can you sell an asset that isn't yours? Infantino didn't invent it, Ovid was already writing about the game.

When asked whether an official boycott by European nations is still a realistic possibility, the UEFA chief did not dismiss the idea.

"The most important thing is to clearly understand the regulatory framework and moral aspects of this innovation: we must force everyone to reflect deeply," he explained. "We will meet in the next few hours, a meeting has been called, we will discuss it."

Political interference and links to US investors

Gravina also raised major concerns about political interference accepted by Infantino, pointing in particular to events during the recent World Cup. He criticised FIFA's ties with US investors, including Joshua Kushner, the brother of former US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

"Then there was Trump's interference in the World Cup," Gravina said. "Now we discover he wants to sell a portion of the company that controls football to the brother of the US president's son-in-law."

The experienced administrator also argued that football belongs to the people, not to those temporarily occupying positions of power.

"It's serious that they're saying this operation is being done to give more money to the federations, especially in the year of FIFA elections," he added.

"Football, the federations, need respect more than money. Respect for the rules, for the fans, for the athletes, for the managers, respect for the sport. At the World Cup, we saw something unacceptable. The arrogance of assigning to himself a power that does not exist or the ownership of the ball."

European meeting to decide next steps

The immediate future of the commercial proposal now depends on an upcoming assembly called by European football leaders. If European federations refuse to take part in the new model, FIFA could face an unprecedented crisis ahead of its flagship competition. The talks due to take place in Europe will decide whether a united stand can stop Infantino's plans to privatise the World Cup.