The English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A and Germany’s Bundesliga issued a joint statement on Friday demanding a comprehensive overhaul of FIFA’s governance. The leagues cited the controversy surrounding the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project, which would have opened the sport’s governing body to private investors, as a catalyst for the call.
In the statement, the four leagues said “fundamental governance reform is essential to restore clear constitutional boundaries within FIFA, including confidence that individual disciplinary matters remain demonstrably insulated from political interference.” They added that their collective voice comes from being founding members of the World Leagues Association and that FIFA’s “relentless expansionism affects everyone.”
The call follows FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s proposal for a “consultation” of national federations to reform the body’s governance. The leagues described the FFE plan as “one of the biggest abuses of power in FIFA’s history” and warned that “surface‑level, process changes” would not suffice.
They propose the creation of a permanent body that would represent national associations, leagues, clubs and players from both men’s and women’s football. “This new body must be fully informed about new initiatives and have a meaningful role in FIFA’s decision‑making process,” the leagues wrote.
The statement also calls for any major FIFA proposal to begin with a clearly defined rationale, supporting evidence and an independent assessment that is published before a decision is made. The leagues insist that FIFA’s role as “regulator and guardian of the game” must be protected from commercial interests.
Looking ahead, the leagues urge candidates for the FIFA presidency to endorse their principles “within the first 100 days of the next presidential mandate.” For now, Infantino remains the sole candidate for the March 18, 2027 election, with the submission of candidacies open until November 18. While UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation issued a joint letter in August criticizing Infantino, support remains from Saudi Arabia, CAF and CONMEBOL.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
