On Friday, England's Premier League, Germany's Bundesliga, Italy's Serie A, and Spain's LaLiga jointly called for significant reforms at FIFA, citing the need for greater stakeholder involvement in decision-making as scrutiny of the governing body increases. The leagues emphasized the necessity for stricter checks and balances, clearer constitutional boundaries, and a better separation between FIFA's regulatory and commercial operations.
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This joint statement marks the first coordinated action from these four major leagues following FIFA President Gianni Infantino's decision to withdraw a controversial plan aimed at inviting outside investment in FIFA's commercial endeavors. This proposal had faced widespread criticism within the football community.
In their statement, the leagues remarked, "The World Cup may be the pinnacle of our sport, but the foundations of football are sustained week in and week out by dedicated players, fans, clubs, and leagues around the world." They expressed concern that recent governance issues at FIFA have jeopardized these fundamental foundations, claiming that the president has prioritized profit-driven ideas over the sport’s integrity. Despite pushback, the governance issues that enabled the ill-fated FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme remain unresolved.
The statement contributes to the mounting pressure on FIFA as Infantino prepares for reelection next year. Relations between FIFA and European leagues have soured, primarily due to friction over the increasing frequency of international competitions that many clubs believe strain players and diminish the value of domestic leagues.
In response to criticism, Infantino proposed an independent external review of FIFA’s governance framework to the FIFA Council. He also suggested engaging in consultations with various stakeholders to enhance decision-making processes.
The leagues countered that while the FIFA President acknowledges the need for reform, mere surface-level changes are insufficient. They argued that substantive governance reforms are essential to restore confidence within FIFA’s structures, particularly to protect disciplinary matters from political influence.
Criticism of Infantino's proposals has been swift; UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, while not directly naming Infantino, made statements that implicitly condemned the previous suggestion to sell up to a 20% stake in FIFA's commercial rights to private investors. This initiative was halted in July following opposition from UEFA and other confederations.
The four European leagues continue to call for meaningful engagement with affected stakeholders, including national associations, leagues, clubs, and players from both men’s and women’s football. They assert that FIFA's governance crises extend beyond individual leadership, raising critical questions about the concentration of regulatory, commercial, and political power without adequate checks and balances, which undermines football's integrity.