The English Premier League, the German Bundesliga, the Italian Serie A, and the Spanish La Liga called for urgent reforms in the management system of the International Football Federation "FIFA".
The four leagues issued a joint statement that "Video News Agency" reviewed today, Friday, in which they called for enhancing independent oversight within FIFA and granting various stakeholders in football a real role in the decision-making process.
This call comes in light of dissatisfaction regarding the expansion of the international match calendar, along with decisions concerning the future and development of football being made without extensive consultations with local league competitions.
The French league "Ligue 1" did not join the initiative that brought together the four European leagues.
This step comes amidst previous criticisms directed at FIFA's management under Gianni Infantino's presidency after the proposal to sell a 20% stake of the federation's commercial rights, including World Cup rights, to private sector investors. The project faced objections from European football entities before it was halted.
FIFPro, the European Clubs Association, and La Liga submitted a joint complaint to the European Commission against FIFA in November 2024, in the context of disputes related to the management of the international football calendar.