Futbol United Given New Name - January 26th, 2011

The following articles highlight the process of Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and their demise from the governance of international football and the rise of Global Futbol.

January 26th, 2011

Futbol United Given New Name

Futbol United, a name synonymous over the last month with the ceding from FIFA, has had a name change. The new association, based in Germany and spearheaded by English and Brazilian officials, will be called Global Futbol.

The reason for the change is due to the initials coming across as offensive and scathing �" effectively ‘giving the finger’ to FIFA. Instead, GF is a far more appropriate abbreviation.

 

Qualifications are well underway for an inaugural Under 17 tournament �" also called the World Cup.

 

We put these questions to Hans Frummels, Germany’s key figure in football and initial promoter of the shift from FIFA.

 

Why hold a World Cup so early when there has been little time to establish Global Futbol?

 

We want to have a World Cup that showcases the football talent on offer in Global Futbol. We need to separate from the FIFA, and such a tournament will help establish Global Futbol as a powerhouse across the globe.

 

How many nations will take part in this World Cup?

The World Cup will have 32 nations competing in the same manner as the FIFA World Cups since 1998. The 127 nations that originally signed on with this venture last year will take part in the qualification process.

 

Some say FIFA will take Global Futbol to court. What do you say to that?

We welcome FIFA’s challenge. We have taken the time to ensure everything we have done and will do is lawful, maintaining the integrity of the organisation. That is what differs us from FIFA. We must eradicate corruption from all forms of football, and fo us, that starts at the underage level.

 

Some say you will never be as big as FIFA.

We cannot deny how embedded FIFA is in world football. Perhaps you may see it the other way round �" football is entrenched by FIFA. We aim to change that, over time.

 

Will Global Futbol ever be in charge of the Men’s and Women’s World Cups?

We hope so. We are aiming for a Men’s World Cup or some variation in 2014, but ideally, we hope to have control over the greatest tournament in the world in 10 to 15 years. We know this will take time, but we have the backing of the national governments, and that will stand us in good stead as we build a corruption-less footballing body.

 

Global Futbol �" better than Futbol United?

We changed the name for many reasons. United is the name of many clubs across the globe, and we do not see ourselves as replacements of the club system. Ultimately, we believe changing global football will in turn influence club football. 

 

We also found Futbol United came across as crude. We want to keep football clean, and this is one of the avenues in doing so.

 

Frummel will oversee the inaugural qualification match, as a former FIFA referee, due to be scheduled in early March.