FIFA president Gianni Infantino must be replaced by 2027, along with an overhaul of football’s global governing body, the Dutch football association (KNVB) has said. The KNVB, one of FIFA’s founding members in 1904, issued a scathing statement on Sunday, saying it had lost confidence in Infantino and wanted to reshape the body rather than just change leadership at the top. The Dutch body wants to host an international summit in Amsterdam and has invited football associations and confederations from around the world to participate.
Infantino is expected to run for re-election to the FIFA presidency in March, but world regional football bodies have considered a vote of no confidence after his aborted proposal to sell a stake in FIFA events like the World Cup to private equity investors. We believe FIFA needs new leadership from 2027 onwards,” it said in the statement. The way FIFA is governed must change as well.
That support was never unconditional.” The KNVB proposed an “International Summit on the Future of FIFA”, emphasising it should determine “what kind of FIFA we want” before identifying new leadership. FIFA did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for a comment on KNVB’s statement and proposed plans for a summit. Among KNVB’s key demands was a revamp of the decision-making process in the organisation.
It called for FIFA’s congress to take the call on key decisions under the governance and supervision of its council. It proposed a shift of power, whereby the organisation’s secretary-general leads and the president plays the role of representing FIFA globally. The Dutch body outlined three reform priorities: better governance with stronger checks and balances, putting human rights and sustainability at the heart of decision-making and stronger international cooperation.
It also wants FIFA to work towards reinvesting up to 90 percent of its distributable revenue in football development. Infantino said last week it was FIFA’s job to close the gap between its wealthy members and those that have few financial resources.
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