German football chief blasts Infantino over lack of transparency

Berlin, December 20: German Football Federation (DFB) President Reinhard Grindel launched a scathing attack on FIFA chief Gianni Infantino over a lack of transparency on proposals for new competitions.

Infantino has long envisaged the creation of an international nations league and a Club World Cup expanded to 24 teams, saying it was the best way to fight the possibility of a breakaway Super League.

"With this lack of transparency on these questions he is reinforcing the prejudices against FIFA," Grindel was quoted as saying in an interview with Sportbuzzer.de.

"It is why I am insisting with my UEFA colleagues in the FIFA Council on the creation of a task force where all the information can be laid out on the table and we can determine with honesty if we need other competitions and if so what format they should take."

German Football Federation president Reinhard Grindel has launched a withering attack on FIFA president Gianni Infantino over a lack of transparency on proposals for new competitions https://t.co/BYaVbWYZj6 pic.twitter.com/dnu89Gex24

— AFP Sport (@AFP_Sport) December 19, 2018

The vague proposal to sell FIFA rights for 25 billion over 12 years to finance the club tournament also concerns Grindel.

"I would be satisfied if FIFA launched an open process of discussion and if the principals concerned, that is the clubs, the leagues and the federations were involved in the discussions," he said.

Grindel's concerns echo those made by UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin at the start of December.

"We still have a lot of difficulties with these two proposals," said Ceferin who was particularly ambivalent about the Club World Cup which would be "financed by a fund whose origins and names of supporters are unknown.

(With inputs from Agencies).