Europes top four leagues demand FIFA governance reform, call Infantinos World Cup plan historic abuse of power
Europe’s top four leagues demanded sweeping governance reforms at FIFA on Friday, escalating pressure on President Gianni Infantino over his leadership and a failed plan to create a private commercial entity for World Cup rights.
In a joint statement, the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga called for “fundamental reform” to restore clear statutory limits within FIFA and shield disciplinary cases from political interference. They described Infantino’s proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) as “one of the most serious abuses of power in the history of the institution.”
The leagues proposed a permanent body representing national associations, leagues, clubs and players—both men’s and women’s—to be fully informed of new initiatives and hold significant decision-making power. They also insisted that major FIFA proposals require published justifications, independent impact assessments and stakeholder input before approval.
Infantino, who has not ruled out seeking a fourth term in March 2027, offered consultations on governance reform this week, including an external review of FIFA’s decision-making processes. The leagues’ statement, signed by Marc Lenz (Bundesliga), Javier Tebas (La Liga), Luigi De Siervo (Serie A) and Richard Masters (Premier League), stopped short of explicitly demanding his resignation but criticized his “unrelenting expansionism” and failure to prevent “exploitative ideas.”
The call for reform follows months of backlash over Infantino’s push to commercialize World Cup rights, which collapsed after widespread opposition. The leagues emphasized that FIFA’s regulatory role must be protected from its commercial functions .
Follow us for live European news
- 3
- 2
- 1
- 1
- 1
2 further sources not geolocated
Articles
Why schoolboys have become a huge part of footballs transfer market BBC Sport explores why clubs at the top of English football are increasingly trading academy players and what the impact is on the youngsters themselves.
bbc sport · about 3 hours ago
Les quatre grandes ligues européennes de football mettent la pression sur Gianni Infantino : "Lun des plus graves abus de pouvoir" Le projet de société commerciale de la FIFA, finalement abandonné, continue de provoquer des remous au sein du football international. ...
la libre · about 3 hours ago
Druk op Infantino neemt verder toe: Europese topcompetities eisen verandering De druk op FIFA-voorzitter Gianni Infantino neemt verder toe. De Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga en Serie A hebben vrijdag in een gezamenlijke verklaring veranderingen geëist bij de FIFA.
nu.nl · about 3 hours ago
#BREAKING English, Spanish, Italian, German football leagues call for FIFA reform
bluesky_AFP English · about 3 hours ago
Las cuatro grandes ligas piden más peso en FIFA y aprietan a Infantino LaLiga, Premier, Bundesliga y Calcio emiten un comunicado unificado para pedir que la nuestra estructura sea más inclusiva y transparente, para acordar asuntos relevantes como el calendario
la vanguardia · about 3 hours ago
Bestuursvoorzitters grote voetbalcompetities kritisch op FIFA ZÜRICH (ANP/DPA) - Ook de bestuursvoorzitters van de hoogste voetbalcompetities in Duitsland, Spanje, Italië en Engeland hebben scherpe kritiek geuit op de FIFA en voorzitter Gianni Infantino. De Zwitser kwam in opspraak door het inmiddels ingetrokken commercialiseringsplan om een deel van de WK-rechten te verkopen aan derden.
rtl nieuws · about 3 hours ago
„Einer der größten Machtmissbräuche in der Fifa-Geschichte – Europs Top-Ligen attackieren Infantino Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A und Premier League machen gegen Fifa-Präsident Infantino mobil. Die Rede ist von „ausbeuterischen Ideen, die der 56-Jährige forciert habe.
welt.de · about 3 hours ago
„Ausbeuterische Ideen: Europäische Topligen attackieren Fifa-Boss Infantino Die vier europäischen Top-Ligen schließen sich zusammen und fordern Reformen. Fifa-Boss Gianni Infantino greifen sie substanziell an.
tagesspiegel · about 3 hours ago
Europas Topligen attackierten Fifa-Chef Infantino: "Ausbeuterisch" Durch ein "grundlegendes Führungsproblem" seien die Grundlagen des Fußballs bedroht, heißt es in einem Brief von Deutscher Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A und Premier League
der standard · about 3 hours ago
Bundesliga und Co: Europäische Topligen attackieren Gianni Infantino Die vier europäischen Topligen fordern Reformen bei der FIFA und kritisieren den Präsidenten: Der habe „ausbeuterische Ideen aktiv gefördert. Nun entscheide sich, wie die FIFA künftig geführt wird.
faz · about 3 hours ago