The Premier League has joined forces with La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga to call for urgent governance reform at Fifa after the World Cup sell-off debacle (FFE) as Gianni Infantino prepares to seek a fourth term as president. Their strongly worded statement is the latest indication that Infantino’s willingness to hold an external governance review does not go far enough, after the Guardian revealed that several Fifa Council members had rejected that proposal. In a thinly veiled attack on Infantino the four biggest European leagues accused the Fifa president of promoting “exploitative ideas” which threaten the foundations of the global game.
They also reference the Folarin Balogun affair by calling for more checks and balances to ensure that “individual disciplinary matters remain demonstrably insulated from political interference”. There has been considerable tension between the leading European leagues and Fifa for some time, particularly over the increasingly congested match calendar, which has been exacerbated by the development of new competitions such as the Club World Cup. The lobby group European Leagues filed a legal complaint to the European Commission against Fifa two years ago, accusing it of abusive practices, which has since been extended to include the women’s game.
Fundamental governance reform is essential to restore clear constitutional boundaries within Fifa, including confidence that individual disciplinary matters remain demonstrably insulated from political interference. A Fifa governance that concentrates unchecked regulatory, commercial and political power in a single office, while relegating affected stakeholders to mere advisory status, is not fit for purpose,” the statement added. Fifa’s financial, legal, communications and marketing resources, as well as its football development funds, must remain strictly neutral and never create an electoral advantage for any candidate.” The deadline for presidential candidates declaring their intention to stand is 18 November, before the election in March.
Infantino is the only declaration to date, with the Guardian reporting this week that there are growing concerns within European football that he will end up being re-elected unopposed.
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