October 21 – The World Leagues Association (WLA) has called on “FIFA and the Confederations to involve the WLA in the development of this new (governance) framework”.
Welcoming the decision of the October 15 FIFA Council meeting to review FIFA’s governance, the WLA said: “There is a fundamental change in the decision-making of international football and the WLA urges FIFA to reflect in its governance the contribution of national leagues to the development of football.”
Highlighting the role played by clubs and leagues in paying players (FIFA does not pay players to compete for their nations at its events), the WLA continued: “The success of the World Cup and FIFA’s ability to generate revenue for its 211 confederations is the result of a collective effort by the football industry. During the World Cup, national leagues suspend their competitions and their clubs 250 players.
“While representing their country, these players are paid by their clubs, whose income is largely generated through domestic league competitions. This collective and solidarity effort that enables the redistribution of resources around the world must be recognized in FIFA’s governance.”
The WLA points to FIFA’s “drastically expanded” competitions in recent years, “while domestic leagues organize their competitions within existing calendar constraints. These developments affect the sustainability of domestic competitions, the 4,000 clubs and 130,000 professional players who participate in them. All these clubs and players form the basis of football and its development.”
The WLA’s point is that without the domestic leagues and the platform for players to train, play and make a living, FIFA would not have a World Cup that could generate $15 billion in revenue.
“For several years, the World Leagues Association has called for a transparent, structured and inclusive process that gives national professional leagues a role in decisions regarding the international match schedule and the future of soccer,” the WLA says.
FIFA has repeatedly refused to recognize the WLA or its associated bodies as an interested party participating in any table discussions surrounding the game.
European leagues have become so frustrated at being excluded that they filed a complaint with the European Commission arguing that FIFA’s conflict of interest as a competition organizer and governing body is a breach of EU competition law.
They have since expanded their complaint and legal battle, criticizing FIFA’s abuse of power over the women’s match schedule and regulatory decisions in an updated complaint to the European Commission.
“FIFA has conflicting roles as a governing body and competition organiser, resulting in a conflict of interest. As in men’s football, FIFA consistently uses its regulatory power to further its own competition and commercial interests to the detriment of women’s football and European domestic leagues. The recent controversy surrounding the aborted FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative has further exposed this structural conflict and the vivid benefits of the FIFA. decisions and decision-making processes,” the WLA said in September.
That the doors are now open for the WLA to take a seat at the top table may be wishful thinking. Shared decision-making with stakeholders and FIFA transparency has not been something under the leadership of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, consolidation of power and unilateral decision-making.
Contact the writer of this story at paul.nicholson@insideworldfootball.com