A powerful coalition of four major European leagues—the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, and Serie A—has formally demanded sweeping structural changes to Fifa. This unified push for reform comes as current president Gianni Infantino prepares his campaign for a fourth term, with critics arguing that his recent willingness to explore surface-level reviews fails to address systemic issues.
In a direct challenge to the incumbent president, the leagues accused Infantino of promoting “exploitative ideas” that threaten the global foundations of the sport. Their statement emphasized that the existing governance model, which concentrates regulatory, commercial, and political power within a single office, is “not fit for purpose.” After revealed that several Fifa Council members had rejected that proposal, their strongly worded statement is the latest indication that Infantino’s willingness to hold an external governance review does not go far enough.
Tensions between the leagues and the sport’s governing body have been building for years, fueled by concerns over an increasingly congested match calendar and the expansion of tournaments like the Club World Cup. The lobby group European Leagues previously filed a legal complaint against Fifa with the European Commission two years ago, alleging abusive practices—a grievance that has since expanded to include the women’s game.
Central to the leagues’ list of demands is the need to bolster transparency and independence. They specifically referenced the Folarin Balogun affair, calling for new checks and balances to ensure that “individual disciplinary matters remain demonstrably insulated from political interference.” The statement noted that while stakeholders successfully forced the withdrawal of the controversial Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme, the underlying conditions that enabled such proposals remain unaddressed. They criticise ‘expansionism’ and want more input.
To restore institutional integrity, the four leagues have proposed three core reforms for any future president to adopt: the establishment of a permanent decision-making body comprising representatives from national associations, leagues, clubs, and players; a mandate to publish the reasoning behind major decisions in advance; and the strict separation of Fifa’s regulatory functions from its commercial operations. “The future of Fifa matters to everyone who cares about football, because our sport cannot grow globally if its foundations are undermined.”.
The coalition is urging candidates for the upcoming presidency to endorse these principles. Furthermore, they are calling on the successful candidate to convene an independently chaired governance convention within the first 100 days of their mandate, with a requirement to report publicly on findings within six months.
Regarding the upcoming election process, the leagues stressed that all presidential contenders must publish comprehensive reform programs and engage in open debate. They further insisted that Fifa’s financial, legal, and marketing resources must remain strictly neutral to prevent any incumbent from gaining an unfair electoral advantage.
The deadline for candidates to declare their intention to run for the Fifa presidency is 18 November, ahead of the scheduled election in March. As it stands, Infantino is the only individual to have declared his candidacy, prompting growing anxiety within European football circles that he may ultimately face no opposition. With reporting this week that there are growing concerns within European football that he will end up being re-elected unopposed, infantino is the only declaration to date.
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