FIFA President Gianni Infantino has come under heavy criticism for allegedly bowing to pressure from US President Donald Trump and, in the process, coming close to violating some of FIFA's long-standing rules.
Image: AFP
The Dutch football federation (KNVB) has said "FIFA needs new leadership" and that it would like to host a summit on the future of football's world governing body which does not involve beleaguered president Gianni Infantino.
The 56-year-old Swiss has taken a pummelling over his now shelved FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan to bring private investment into FIFA events, including the jewels in the crown, the men's and women's World Cups.
The KNVB in a letter to Aleksander Ceferin, president of European football's governing body UEFA, said it had lost confidence in Infantino and things had to change radically within FIFA.
Infantino, who was elected in 2016 after Sepp Blatter stood down, had looked set to be re-elected unopposed to a fourth and final term in Rabat next March as he basked in the afterglow of a highly successful World Cup.
However, his botched proposal has resulted in a steady loss of support, the Norwegian FA demanded he resign and now the Dutch are envisaging an overhaul of FIFA without him at the helm.
Anyone wishing to challenge Infantino — CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani is seen as the likeliest to put his name forward as Ceferin has declared himself a non-runner — has to do so by November 18.
"The KNVB no longer has confidence in the leadership of FIFA President Gianni Infantino," read the KNVB statement.
"We believe FIFA needs new leadership from 2027 onwards. But a new President alone is not enough. The way FIFA is governed must change as well."
Although UEFA has led the fight against Infantino — their latest salvo threatening legal action accusing him of "criminal mismanagement" — KNVB insisted its proposal for change "should not be a European plan for the rest of the world".
"We want to develop this new direction together with FIFA's 211 Member Associations and the confederations from all parts of the world," it said.
The KNVB listed three priorities: Good governance for a better balance of power, putting football's social power at the heart of FIFA and investing more in football worldwide.
One of the main accusations aimed at Infantino has been a lack of transparency — contradicting what he had promised when first elected — and taking decisions unilaterally or with just a few of his inner circle involved.
Such was the case with the FFE when according to The New York Times five FIFA senior directors were apprised of the proposal at a meeting in a hotel in New York on the eve of the World Cup final in the US last month.
"FIFA should not depend on one individual. The President, FIFA Council, Congress and Secretary-General each have their own role and responsibility," said the KNVB.
"The President represents and unites. The Council governs and supervises. Congress decides. The Secretary-General leads the organisation.
"This requires greater transparency, independent oversight and room for critical voices."
To this end the KNVB said it would like all these matters to be discussed by "football associations and confederations".
"We therefore propose an International Summit on the Future of FIFA," it said.
"The KNVB is willing to host this summit in Amsterdam, a city with a special place in FIFA's history.
"The 2027 presidential election should not only be about who leads FIFA.
"First, we need to determine what kind of FIFA we want. Then we can identify the leadership needed to deliver that change."
UEFA when contacted by AFP preferred to keep its own counsel regarding the letter.
"We would prefer not to comment on correspondence that was intended to be private," it said.
"We can only add that we have a long-standing, productive working relationship with KNVB, which we greatly appreciate."
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