England U20s Coach: 'Continue As Usual' Despite UEFA Boycott
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- Lydia Bedford, England U20s head coach, says the FA's message has been "just continue as usual" ahead of the September 5-27 tournament in Poland, despite UEFA's ongoing boycott threat over FIFA's private-investor plan.
- The dispute was triggered by Gianni Infantino's plan to sell stakes in World Cup and other competitions to private investors; UEFA and its 55 members threatened to boycott FIFA competitions after the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal was abandoned earlier this month.
- Six European teams are set to compete in the Under-20 Women's World Cup — the first tournament that could be impacted — and BBC Sport understands none have told hosts Poland they are withdrawing.
- Weronika Arasniewicz (Poland) opposes a boycott: "Let the football be there. Let's enjoy football," while England international Lucy Bronze recently said boycotting would be "the right thing for the good of the game" despite the hit to women's football.
- Bedford learned of the dispute via a phone call from her dad while at a London theatre; she names her Young Lionesses squad next week after England beat Portugal U20s 2-0 in a Lisbon friendly on Thursday.
Why it matters: With the tournament starting in roughly two weeks and six European federations yet to formally withdraw, UEFA's boycott threat faces its first concrete test — and if teams do play, Infantino's reform agenda survives its opening skirmish. The split between Bronze (who backs a boycott for the game's long-term good) and Arasniewicz (who just wants to play) shows the political cost is being borne unevenly by the women's game.
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