Premier League and European counterparts demand overhaul of FIFA governance

The Premier League has joined La Liga, the Bundesliga and Serie A in demanding an overhaul of FIFA's governance, with the four competitions calling for stronger checks on the power of world football's governing body. According to BBC Sport, their joint statement seeks changes to how FIFA makes decisions, represents affected groups and separates its regulatory responsibilities from its commercial interests.

The intervention follows FIFA president Gianni Infantino's proposal for an external review of the organisation's operations. BBC Sport reported that the review proposal came amid the fallout from his abandoned plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors. The leagues argue that withdrawing the FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme did not remove the underlying governance weaknesses that allowed it to be pursued.

A central demand is a permanent body giving leagues, clubs and players from both men's and women's football a substantive part in FIFA decision-making. The four competitions also want major proposals to undergo independent assessments of their effects on stakeholders. Their statement rejects a structure in which those affected by FIFA decisions have only an advisory role while regulatory, commercial and political authority remains concentrated in the presidency.

The leagues additionally seek institutional protections separating FIFA's rule-making powers from its business activities. They want ethics, financial oversight and electoral bodies to operate independently of the administration and president. Their call for disciplinary decisions to be protected from political influence refers, BBC Sport reported, to the cancellation of United States forward Folarin Balogun's World Cup suspension after President Donald Trump asked Infantino to review the ban.

The dispute builds on a legal complaint that European leagues and players' union Fifpro filed with the European Commission two years ago. That complaint alleged FIFA had abused its dominant position through expansion of the international calendar and insufficient consultation. FIFA denied the allegations and accused some leagues of pursuing their own interests without considering the wider game. BBC Sport said FIFA had been approached for comment on the latest statement.

The letter was signed by Premier League chief executive Richard Masters, Bundesliga chief executive Marc Lenz, La Liga president Javier Tebas and Serie A chief executive Luigi De Siervo. The four leagues want candidates in FIFA's presidential election to back their proposals. BBC Sport reported that Infantino intends to seek re-election in March despite calls from three confederations for him to step down, with opponents having until 18 November to identify an alternative candidate.