Four European leagues call for FIFA governance reform

The Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga and Serie A plan to issue a joint statement Friday demanding FIFA reform. A football insider said they will insist FIFA must have more independent oversight and give stakeholders, including leagues, a meaningful role in decision-making, plus greater consultation on the global football calendar. The text was still being agreed Thursday afternoon. The Premier League declined to comment. The move follows FIFA abandoning in July its FIFA Forward Enterprise plan to sell a 20 percent stake in commercial rights, including the World Cup, to private investors including Joshua Kushner after global opposition and boycott threats. UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF called for changes to FIFA leadership. The European Leagues Association, including the four leagues, filed an EU complaint nearly two years ago about FIFA handling of the International Match Calendar. This week Gianni Infantino wrote to heads of all 211 member nations and the FIFA Council offering an independent external review of governance for major strategic initiatives. He said he must serve all associations fairly regardless of their position on any matter and that strong institutions do not wait for systems to fail before improving them. He affirmed he will seek re-election next year, saying his responsibilities are larger than any individual proposal or disagreement. It was unclear if the leagues' statement would call for him to stand down. The Council meets next month.