KEIR RADNEDGE REPORTS: The FIFA World Football Museum is becoming merely the FIFA Museum in its latest promotional shuffle.

A statement said the decision had been made “to focus on celebrating and safeguarding football heritage and culture globally.”

It added: “The new brand identity, including its logo and colours have been designed to emphasize the close relationship between the museum and the world’s football governing body and its role as FIFA’s passionate, inspiring cultural institution in Zurich and abroad.”

The museum was a pet project of disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter but the cost and low visitor numbers prompted a review of its existence ordered by successor Gianni Infantino.

The complication of the building contracts was one reason why FIFA decided to keep the museum alive although that meant some ruthless scaling back in terms of cost and staffing.

In 2020 the museum reported an increase un visitor numbers for a second successive year but then, like every museum everywhere, it was badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

FIFA secretary-general Fatma Samoura put a bright face on the latest revamp.

She said: “This rebranding is a big milestone! It opens a new chapter for the museum’s important cultural work on a global level. We are looking forward to supporting the further development of this institution in their efforts to safeguard football heritage and culture for the game, for the fans and for the FIFA member associations.”

Managing director Marco Fazzone described the rebranding as “perfectlyt reflecting our identity as a responsible institution, which represents the excitement and love for the game and reaches out to fans across the globe with engaging, educational content about the football’s heritage and culture.”

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