Football, the major European leagues against Infantino: they are calling for a reform of FIFA governance

The greats of Europe are still attacking Gianni Infantino. The four main European leagues (English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A and German Bundesliga) are once again strongly calling for a reform of FIFA governance, which is in crisis after the revelation of the (failed) plan to create a commercial company open to private investors.

“Fundamental governance reform is essential to re-establish clear statutory boundaries within FIFA to demonstrably ensure that individual disciplinary cases remain free from any political interference,” the four leagues wrote in a joint statement. The request follows the openness of president Gianni Infantino, who said he was willing to discuss internal reforms, after the attacks following the unilateral decision to create a commercial company called Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE).

Infantino "recognized the need for reform, but superficial or procedural changes following the FFE case are insufficient", argue the four major European leagues, who describe the FFE project as "one of the most serious abuses of power in the history of the organisation".

The Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga propose the establishment of a "permanent body" representing "national associations, leagues, clubs and players, in both men's and women's football". This body must be "fully informed about new initiatives and play a significant role in FIFA's decision-making process".

They also ask to "protect FIFA's regulatory role from its commercial function". Candidates for the presidency (voting will take place on 18 March 2027, Infantino is currently the only one in the running) must "adhere to these principles and, within the first 100 days of the next mandate, convene a governance convention - chaired by an independent figure and bringing together the affiliated federations and the entire football community - with the task of drawing up a public report within six months (...). FIFA's financial, legal, communication and marketing resources, as well as its allocated funds to the development of football, they must remain strictly neutral" and "never create an electoral advantage for any candidate. It is time to decide not only who will lead FIFA, but also how it will be led".