The four major European leagues made the call in a joint statement on Friday, saying reforms were needed to make FIFA more transparent, objective, proportionate and inclusive.
The leagues said they decided to speak out because FIFA’s expanding activities affect football stakeholders across the world.
“Our sport cannot grow globally if its foundations are undermined,” they said.
The statement comes days after FIFA president Gianni Infantino proposed an external review of the organisation’s operations following controversy over his now-withdrawn plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors.
The four leagues described the controversy surrounding the proposal as “one of the biggest abuses of power in FIFA’s history” and argued that the withdrawal of the FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme had not addressed the underlying governance concerns.
“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 acknowledged Infantino’s recognition of the need for reform but called for changes that go beyond procedural adjustments.
“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 assurances that individual disciplinary matters would remain protected from political interference.
The statement is understood to reference the cancellation of the suspension of United States forward Folarin Balogun at the World Cup, following reports that US President Donald Trump had asked Infantino for the striker’s ban to be reviewed.
The leagues stressed that their concerns about FIFA’s governance extended beyond Infantino personally.
“FIFA’s governance problem goes far beyond the role of one individual,” they said.
They questioned whether the FIFA president should be able to exercise regulatory, commercial and political powers simultaneously without effective checks and balances or the agreement of affected stakeholders.
“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 provides greater transparency and accountability while ensuring that the interests of football stakeholders are adequately represented.
FIFA has been approached for comment on the statement and the allegations raised by the four leagues.
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