Governing Bodies
LA LIGA CHIEF ACCUSES FIFA PRESIDENT OF SUPPORTING EUROPEAN SUPER LEAGUE
La Liga chief Javier Tebas has accused Fifa president Gianni Infantino of supporting the launch of a breakaway European Super League despite world football’s governing body being officially opposed to the project.
In an interview with AFP, Tebas called on Infantino to deny he is in favour of the controversial breakaway competition that would transform the landscape of European football.
Tebas claims Infantino has been “working on” and “encouraging” its formation and said Fifa’s president could even be given a role with the new league once it is set up.
When contacted by AFP, Fifa referred to its statement on Jan 21, which was signed by Infantino and said “such a competition would not be recognized by either Fifa or the respective confederation”.
Fifa added any club or player participating would be banned from competitions organsied by Fifa, such as the World Cup, although it is unclear if such a move would be legal.
Yet Tebas believes Infantino is in favour of a Super League and has even been helping clubs to organise it. “Fifa as an institution have been very clear but Infantino is not Fifa the institution, he is the president and he should clarify his position,” Tebas said in an interview with AFP and British tabloid The Sun.
“It is obvious that he has been involved in the meetings. He has been working on it and even been encouraging them to set it up. He is not against it,” Tebas added.
“He thought the project was good.”
When asked why Infantino would support a European Super League, Tebas said: “Maybe he has a position in this future Super League that he is going to take up. Otherwise I wouldn’t understand it.”
Documents containing details of the Super League, first reported this month by British newspaper The Times, proposed a 20-club tournament with 15 permanent members.
They would include the Premier League’s “Big Six”, as well as Real Madrid and Barcelona, with those clubs guaranteed billions of euros in revenue.
Tebas believes the documents show Infantino was involved in discussions.
“In the documents that we have there is the mention of a code name ‘W01’ which clearly refers to Mr Infantino. That is his code name,” said Tebas.
“So he should urgently clarify his position, his personal position, to explain exactly why he was at some of the meetings and encouraged the project at certain points in time.”
Infantino has championed a new, expanded 24-team Fifa Club World Cup which he has said would be “the best club competition in the world” as well as the most lucrative.
Tebas continued: “In the documents there are also certain dates being held back for the Club World Cup, which is so precious to Infantino.
“They have kept January free for the Club World Cup and even said who is going to be part of it.
“It is obvious that people involved like (Real Madrid president) Florentino Perez could not have those details if Infantino were against it.”
Real Madrid declined to comment.
In October, Infatino said he was “not interested’ in a European Super League but stopped short of confirming if he was for or against.
“If he comes out and says it’s not true and can prove it, I will apologise,” said Tebas.
“In football everyone knows everyone and we find out everything that’s going on. When I say something it is for a good reason. I know the truth.”
As the head of the Spanish league, Tebas has been one of the most vocal opponents of the Super League project, which he says has been driven by Perez at Madrid, as well as the American owners of Liverpool, Manchester United and AC Milan.
Barcelona’s outgoing president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, said in October the club had also signed up.
The loss of income from the pandemic has accelerated talks, after Madrid and Barca each posted total debts of around €1 billion (S$1.61 billion).
“Barcelona and Real’s financial situations are not great but they’re not so bad either,” said Tebas.
“The Super League is just an excuse they are looking for to set up this dream, the dream that Florentino Perez has had for years.
“But while I am in charge of the Spanish league it’s not going to happen, that’s my opinion.
“The whole system will be against it and it won’t just sit on its hands. It’s going to fight.”
–AFP
By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria is set to host the 48th Ordinary General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), marking the third time the country will stage the continent’s top football gathering.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), which disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on the sidelines of the ongoing Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, approved Nigeria’s proposal to host the event.
The approval followed a meeting between President Tinubu and CAF President Patrice Motsepe, attended by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, former NFF President and Special Adviser to the CAF President Amaju Melvin Pinnick, as well as CAF Acting General Secretary Samson Adamu.
Sports Villages Square affirms that Nigeria previously hosted the CAF Congress at the National Theatre in Lagos in March 1980 and again in February 2009, when the late CAF President Issa Hayatou secured another four-year term in office.
In addition to this year’s 48th Ordinary General Assembly, scheduled for October, Nigeria also secured the hosting rights of the CAF Awards ceremony. The annual awards gala, which celebrates Africa’s top football performers, has been staged in Morocco over the past three years.
Nigeria had earlier hosted the CAF Awards when telecom firm, Globacom, was the headline sponsor. This year’s event will be the seventh to be held in Nigeria after those of 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014 and 2016.
The CAF Ordinary General Assembly traditionally attracts key football stakeholders from across the continent, including presidents of CAF’s 54 member associations, representatives of the six zonal unions and senior football administrators.
The CAF Awards ceremony is regarded as one of African football’s flagship events, honouring outstanding players, coaches, clubs and officials in a glamorous setting that showcases the continent’s football excellence.
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FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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