Football today is rolling in money. Television rights, sale of players, sponsors and merchandising have brought in the money.
Never before has the game been the subject of so much commercial activity. Never before have so many financial resources been available to the sport. And never before has the windfall been so "massaged" by men of honour. Isn't it strange that a CAF grant of $450,000 towards the CAN 2000 is taking the garb of Ananse story?
But it is an insight into two of Fifa's most ambitious undertakings, financial assistance to FIFA's 203 national associations for projects and the Goal Development Programme that will open a can of worms. The two projects have a different approach and are financed separately. Nevertheless they share the same basic objective of permanently improving the administrative and technical infrastructure in the national associations and of providing additional backing to the already existent FIFA development programme fund.
Mail Sports can authoritatively reveal that the regulations governing the award of financial aid to the Goal Programme, were sent to the national associations with circular 673, on March 23, 1999, following ratification by the FIFA Executive committee. These regulations have already entered into effect, with the granting of $250,000 each year, to the member national associations over four years, from 1999 to 2002.
This financial aid serves as a supplement to other forms of financial aid.
The question is, has the GFA benefitted from the Goal Development Programme? Which other financial aid has been available to the GFA?
A thorough investigation into the financial resources available to football today will make interesting reading. It will also reveal whether the financial resources have been utilised for the projects applied for. An investigation may even open a can of worms far more in proportion to the $450,000 CAF grant towards the CAN 2000 as decision day approaches.
