FIFA announced today, Friday, that it will begin "in the coming days", to pay about 150 million dollars to the national federations, which are due payments that will be paid early, to face the consequences of the emerging Corona virus crisis.
In a letter to the 211 federations affiliated with FIFA, the head of the Swiss Confederation, Jani Infantino, confirmed in early April that the latter would pay early this year dues belonging to it within the "Forward" program.
The International Federation, which is based in the Swiss city of Zurich, said in a statement on Friday, that "all operational funding due to member federations for the years 2019 and 2020 will be released in the coming days, as a first step in order to help the football community that was affected by the pandemic + Covid-19+ ".
"This measure means that a total amount of approximately 150 million dollars will be distributed to the 211 national associations," he said.
The global epidemic that caused until Friday, more than 190 thousand deaths around the world, almost paralysis in sports life around the world, including football, where most of the local tournaments have been suspended, in addition to the postponement of the European Cup and Copa America from the summer of 2020 to 2021 , International Qualifiers and Matches scheduled for June.
"The pandemic has caused unprecedented challenges for every football community, and like the global governing body (of the game), it is FIFA's duty to be present to assist those who have essential needs," FIFA statement quoted Infantino as saying.
He pointed out that this assistance "begins with providing immediate financial assistance to our member federations," explaining that "this is a first step of a long-term financial assistance plan that we are preparing to deal with the state of emergency in every football community."
Infantino stressed that FIFA and its partners are "assessing the losses and preparing appropriate and effective means to implement the other stages of this plan."
FIFA had announced earlier that, within the framework of the "Forward" program, "the second installment due from the operating costs of the national associations, scheduled for later this year, will be paid in advance."
Infantino launched this program in 2016, the year in which he took over the presidency of FIFA, and he notices aid to all national federations totaling about $ 1.6 billion between 2019 and 2022, as part of a program to develop the game in various countries of the world.
In a statement on Friday, FIFA reaffirmed what Infantino had previously made to exempt unions from the need to achieve the additional criteria required for 2019 and 2020 (to benefit from the program), in order to pay the full amount due to them.
The International Federation expressed its hope that this immediate financial assistance will allow the national federations to "limit the impact of + Covid-19+", in particular by making it possible "to fulfill financial or operational obligations towards their employees or a third party."