Premier League Calls for FIFA Changes

The Premier League has joined La Liga, the Bundesliga, and Serie A in asking for big changes to how FIFA runs football worldwide.

The four leagues made their request in a joint statement on Friday. They said FIFA needs to be more open, fair, and inclusive.

They pointed out that FIFA’s actions impact football stakeholders everywhere.

“Our sport cannot grow globally if its foundations are undermined,” the leagues said.

This statement comes just days after FIFA president Gianni Infantino suggested an external review of FIFA's operations. This follows the backlash over his now-canceled plan to sell a share of the World Cup to private investors.

The leagues called this controversy “one of the biggest abuses of power in FIFA’s history.” They noted that the cancellation of the FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme did not fix the main governance issues.

“While football’s stakeholders ultimately forced the withdrawal of the FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme, the conditions that led to FFE remain,” they said.

The leagues recognized that Infantino accepted the need for reforms. But they want changes that go deeper than just fixing procedures.

“The FIFA president has now acknowledged the need for reform, but it is not enough for surface-level, process changes to be explored in the aftermath of FFE, fundamental governance reform is essential to restore clear constitutional boundaries within FIFA,” the statement said.

They also called for assurance that disciplinary matters are free from political pressure.

This seems to refer to the canceled suspension of United States forward Folarin Balogun at the World Cup. This happened after a reported request from U.S. President Donald Trump to Infantino to review the striker’s ban.

The leagues said the governance issues are bigger than just Infantino.

“FIFA’s governance problem goes far beyond the role of one individual,” they said.

They questioned if the FIFA president should have regulatory, commercial, and political powers without proper checks and balances or the agreement of those affected.

“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 leagues said.

The Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, and Serie A called for a governance structure that allows for more openness and accountability. They also want to ensure that the interests of football’s stakeholders are well represented.

FIFA has been contacted for a response regarding the statement and the claims made by the four leagues.