ZURICH, JUL 31: Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso said on Friday football must be kept out of private hands and remain “for the people” after FIFA proposed selling a stake in the business operations of the World Cup.
The Spanish World Cup winner backed UEFA’s staunch opposition to the plan to create a commercial subsidiary to run FIFA’s biggest events and allow private investors to acquire stakes in the company.
“I think that football has to be for the people, not in private hands,” Alonso said in Sydney, where the London club is on a pre-season tour.
“And I think that’s the way we love it. We have seen a great World Cup, and some things they (should) stay the same way. So it’s good to defend the interests from other people.”
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European football’s governing body UEFA said it was ready to boycott the World Cup over the proposal, saying that the sport “cannot be dictated by the expectations of those whose first duty is to maximise financial return”.
FIFA vowed on Friday to press ahead and conduct an “open and democratic” consultation with stakeholders, arguing that it could raise up to $4.2 billion.
Alonso, a key cog in Spain’s 2010 World Cup-winning team, said “hopefully it won’t happen”.
“I think that it’s the common feeling of football people that we want something that we keep in the hands of everyone, that it’s for all the people. So hopefully it won’t happen,” he said.
“Hopefully, we’ll keep the game as attractive and as authentic as we like it, and that’s why it creates these emotions, these passions we’ve seen in the World Cup, in the Champions League, you see in the Premier League, because it’s for everyone.”
FIFA’s plan would have to be approved by the 38-member FIFA council and the majority of its 211 member associations (MAs).
Chelsea beat Western Sydney Wanderers 6-4 this week in Alonso’s first game in charge. It meets fellow English Premier League side Tottenham in Sydney on Saturday.
Chelsea signing Lacroix has ‘winner’s mentality’
FILE PHOTO: The French international, Maxence Lacroix, was unveiled moving to Stamford Bridge from Crystal Palace in a deal worth a reported £52 million ($70 million).
FILE PHOTO: The French international, Maxence Lacroix, was unveiled moving to Stamford Bridge from Crystal Palace in a deal worth a reported £52 million ($70 million). | Photo Credit: AP
Alonso said the new signing Maxence Lacroix has a winner’s mentality and will boost its defensive line, hailing his “strong personality”.
The French international was unveiled on Thursday, moving to Stamford Bridge from Crystal Palace in a deal worth a reported £52 million ($70 million).
Lacroix agreed a six-year contract and will link up with the new club for their pre-season preparations.
“I know Maxence from my time in the Bundesliga,” said Alonso, who rose to prominence as one of Europe’s brightest coaches at Bayer Leverkusen.
“But I think that his progression and his adaptation in the Premier League has been fantastic. Not just on the pitch but in terms of personality, leadership.
“He has these attributes and is a very reliable player that will give us power in the defensive line and will have a big direct impact in the team, I’m sure.
“So it’s a great signing for now and for the future.”
Lacroix made 98 appearances for Palace after arriving from Wolfsburg in 2024.
He won the FA Cup, the UEFA Conference League and the Community Shield during his time at Selhurst Park.
“He has strong personality, he’s mature,” added Alonso.
“He wants to win. He has a winner’s mentality, and he loves to defend, and that’s something I like as well.”
The 26-year-old, who has won seven caps for France and played for his country at the recent World Cup, said he was proud to be a part of “this beautiful club”.
“When I spoke with the manager, I saw that we have the same direction and desire for this club,” he said. “We want to win.”
Lacroix is the club’s latest close-season signing after a British record £117 million swoop for Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers and a £47 million move for Atalanta right-back Marco Palestra.
Geovany Quenda and Emmanuel Emegha have joined Chelsea in transfers that were initially agreed in 2025.
The Blues have also been linked with Brighton striker Danny Welbeck and Brentford midfielder Jordan Henderson.
