Serie A leads European Leagues in call for FIFA reforms

Serie A has aligned with the Premier League, LaLiga and the Bundesliga in a joint statement demanding reforms at the top of FIFA. The Lega Serie A, led by CEO Luigi De Siervo, signed the document titled ‘To unify the game, FIFA must reform’, signalling a united European front.

Signatories and statement title

The statement bears the signatures of Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters, Bundesliga CEO Marc Lenz and LaLiga President Javier Tebas alongside Lega Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo. Each signatory is listed with their official title – Chief Executive, CEO or President – underscoring the seniority of the coalition.

In the opening paragraph the joint declaration warns that “football’s long‑standing foundations have been threatened by a fundamental governance problem”. The language mirrors concerns raised by clubs across the continent and frames the appeal as a defence of the sport’s core values.

Context and demands

The four leagues call on FIFA to give affected shareholders a real pole in decision‑making, to ensure evidence‑based decision‑making and to protect FIFA’s regulatory role from its commercial function. These demands follow Gianni Infantino’s controversial proposals to sell World Cup stakes to private investors and to expand the international match calendar.

Infantino’s expansion plan has already caused an extra‑long delay to domestic football in the early stages of the 2026‑27 season, according to the statement. The leagues argue that such unilateral changes jeopardise the smooth running of national competitions.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has formally withdrawn its support for President Infantino, separating the national association’s stance from that of the Lega Serie A. This move highlights growing dissent among European football bodies.

Infantino later addressed the media at a World Cup 2026 opening press conference in Mexico City on 10 June 2026, defending his agenda. Earlier, on 7 March 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump spoke alongside Infantino in Washington, DC, after unveiling the 2025 Club World Cup trophy, a meeting referenced in the joint statement.

The declaration concludes by invoking the “World Football Force”, asserting that the sport’s future depends on restoring clear constitutional boundaries within FIFA and shielding disciplinary matters from political interference. The leagues pledge to continue speaking up together as stewards of a professional system that links grassroots football to elite competitions.