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Cororna inflicted heavy losses on football, the first of its kind, and associations turn to FIFA for help
The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) on Wednesday estimated the cost of the new Corona virus in the popular game around the world at $ 11 billion due to lost revenue.
So far, the pandemic has prompted more than 150 local federations to request help from the $ 1.5 billion relief fund established by the international federation.
The FIFA Steering Committee for Coronavirus (COVID-19) is the first to reveal the real financial impact of the pandemic on football due to the cancellation or postponement of matches and tournaments, empty stadiums and losses due to the proceeds of rights of TV.
“It’s a huge number and it covers the entire soccer economy, including all the youth academies,” Raine, a politician and governor of Finland’s central bank, told a news conference.
He continued: “This would also affect next year (…) for this reason, this relief fund does not have a specific time period for it; they can apply for loans later if necessary.”
Rehn, who is also Vice Chairman of the FIFA Governance Committee, emphasized that while Europe was the costliest blow, it was the federations outside of Europe that “suffered the most … particularly in South America, largely partly because of their relative resources and season. ” Spherical that extends) from spring to fall.
Italian Andrea Agnelli, president of the Association of European Clubs, expected losses of € 4 billion over two years for member clubs last month.
Each national federation has the right to request from FIFA an amount of one million dollars (two million for the confederations) in addition to 500 thousand dollars for women’s football.
Loans are also available to national federations with a maximum value of $ 5 million ($ 4 million for confederations).
Rehn insisted on emphasizing that, unlike in previous years, it was necessary that the money provided by FIFA “be used for the right purposes”, adding: “There is no room for corruption in football.”
He continued: “Good judgment is at the core of this COVID-19 relief fund.”
“We have made this clear to member associations. I know some member associations have complained about strict compliance procedures; I am used to that. We require full compliance and work with internationally renowned audit firms,” Finn said.
He gave some examples of how the relief fund was used, as happened in Thailand, where it helped to resume national league competition, including the provision of tests for the detection of Coronavirus, but also for the application of the VAR.
Mexico spent its entire $ 1.5 million grant on the National Women’s League. In Uruguay, FIFA funds helped the local association to return to their jobs the employees who were forced to be fired during the pandemic, who are considered one of the most important elements of their management.
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