FIFA president Gianni Infantino sent out a message of encouragement to all 211 of FIFA’s member associations (MAs) via videoconference in the recently concluded 70th FIFA Congress held last Friday, 18 September 2020.
The FIFA Congress was the first ever gathering of all FIFA member associations to be held online brought on by the global pandemic. PFF general secretary Atty. Edwin Gastanes was the PFF’s representative in the Congress while PFF president Mariano Araneta, Jr. attended as member of the FIFA Council.
In an address to the delegates, Infantino lauded the FIFA Council’s decision to support its members through the FIFA COVID-19 Relief Plan which will provide each Member Association USD 1.5 million to mitigate the effects to football of COVID-19 and for the development of women’s football.
“FIFA is not facing a crisis, but football is,” said Infantino in his opening remarks to the Congress. “The money goes where it has to go: to football, and to help football.”
Infantino also announced that it has broadened its partnership with other prominent stakeholders such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Last July 2020, FIFA launched the partnership with ASEAN through the #BeActive campaign that featured Philippine National Team goalkeepers Neil Etheridge and Inna Palacios.
The FIFA Congress also voted to approve two sets of regulatory amendments. Due to the current global situation, the FIFA Statutes and Standing Orders of the Congress were amended to allow future FIFA Congress meetings to be held remotely. Additionally, the Regulations Governing the Application of the FIFA Statutes were amended to include new provisions relating to the exceptions to the general prohibition on changing associations and the access to national team football for stateless players.
Other matters included the approval of the FIFA Annual Report 2019, and the detailed budget for 20221 and the revised budget for the 2019-2022 four-year financial cycle.
Photo from FIFA