The major leagues in Spain, Germany, Italy, and England launched a sharp attack on the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), demanding fundamental and profound reforms in its administrative system and governance structure.
The four leagues explained, in a joint statement, that reforming the governance system has become an imperative necessity to redraw organizational boundaries within FIFA, and to ensure that disciplinary files are kept away from any political tensions or interference, stressing that they speak “with one voice” in the face of what they considered to be the continued expansion of the federation’s influence and its negative impact on various parties of the football system.
This escalation comes in the wake of mounting criticism received by the administration of FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, following previous proposals that included establishing a commercial company to manage the federation’s major tournaments, most notably the World Cup and the Club World Cup.
In this context, league associations pointed out that the current governance crisis is “too big to be reduced to the role of one person,” questioning the extent of the legitimacy of the FIFA president combining regulatory, commercial, and political powers at the same time, and the absence of effective oversight and control mechanisms.
It is noteworthy that Gianni Infantino is so far considered the only candidate for the FIFA presidential elections scheduled to be held on March 18, 2027, while the nomination door remains open until next November 18.
