FIFA World Football Museum

The FIFA World Football Museum is an association football museum operated by FIFA but not owned - it is rented under suspicious circumstances (the building renovation costed SFr 140 million and was paid by FIFA, enriching the landlord - who signed a lucrative contract with above the market fees for long term rental; the case has been referred to the Swiss prosecutors who are investigating potential fraud by Sepp Blatter and his associates). The museum is located in Zürich, Switzerland, across town from the FIFA headquarters. It opened on 28 February 2016. The project, costing over SFr500 million ($563m), is currently under investigation for "suspected criminal mismanagement".[1]

FIFA World Football Museum
Established28 February 2016 (2016-02-28)
LocationZürich, Switzerland
Coordinates47.363509°N 8.531749°E / 47.363509; 8.531749
TypeSports museum
DirectorMarco Fazzone
OwnerFIFA
Public transit accessZürich Enge railway station
Websitefifamuseum.com

Exhibits and amenities

The 3,500 m2 (38,000 sq ft) museum occupies the lower three floors of the renovated Haus zur Enge, a ten-story mixed-use building located in the Enge quarter across from the Zürich Enge railway station and the FIFA-owned Hotel Ascot. The building also contains a sports bar, a bistro, a café, a library, a museum shop and conference rooms; the upper floors have office spaces and 34 luxury apartments.[2][3][4]

The museum shows over 1,000 objects. Exhibits include memorabilia from every FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women's World Cup, the most famous one being the original FIFA World Cup Trophy. The exhibition features various interactive and multimedia installations such as the biggest pinball machine ever made and an audiovisual media installation called Visions of Football using 8 meter LED screens. In 2017, the museum was nominated for the German Design Award.[5]

Every year the museum participates in Zürich's Long Night of Museums.[6]

History

Plans for a museum dedicated to the history of world football to be located in Zürich were proposed by FIFA president Sepp Blatter and the FIFA Executive Committee in 2012.[7] In April 2013, FIFA signed a 40-year lease with Swiss Life for the Haus zur Enge, which would be dismantled and rebuilt to house the museum; an earlier proposal would have had a museum on the grounds of the FIFA headquarters.[8] The City of Zürich Building Authority approved planning permission for the museum in November 2013.[9]

Construction on the renovated Haus zur Enge began in 2014 and was completed in December 2015.[10]

The museum opened on 28 February 2016, during a ceremony presided by the newly elected president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino.[11][12]

On 22 December 2020, Fifa launched legal action against former Fifa president Sepp Blatter for "suspected criminal mismanagement". Despite costing over SFr500 million ($563m), the museum made only $3m of Fifa’s $766m 2019 overall revenues.[1]

References
  1. "Fifa files criminal complaint over world football museum". Financial Times.
  2. Ruiz, Rebecca C. (23 February 2016). "FIFA: Hotelier, Landlord and, Yes, Soccer Overseer". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  3. "About Us: Building". FIFA World Football Museum. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  4. "FIFA World Football Museum Fact Sheet" (PDF). FIFA. January 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  5. "German Design Award Nominee 2017". Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  6. "Zürich's Long Night of Museums". Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  7. "FIFA plans football museum" (Press release). FIFA. 18 April 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  8. "Symbolic act from FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter launches FIFA museum project" (Press release). FIFA. 25 April 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  9. "Construction approval granted for FIFA World Football Museum" (Press release). FIFA. 23 May 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  10. "FIFA World Football Museum: Opening date set" (Press release). FIFA World Football Museum. 12 January 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  11. "FIFA World Football Museum celebrates opening" (Press release). FIFA. 28 February 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  12. Homewood, Brian (28 February 2016). "Infantino opens FIFA museum, says reforms are priority". Reuters. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
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