The World League renews calls for meaningful dialogue with FIFA regarding the international calendar

November 27 – The World Leagues Association (WLA), which has grown to more than 40 professional leagues, again puts pressure on FIFA to democratize decision-making and stakeholder involvement in the international calendar and competition decisions.

To date the WLA has consistently been denied a seat at the FIFA stakeholder table, as has the global players’ union FIFPRO.

Following the WLA’s annual meeting in Athens at the weekend, Premier League CEO and WLA chairman Richard Masters said “the balance between national and international football is under threat from the unprecedented expansion of international competition.

“We cannot underestimate the global popularity of football, its fans and its players by upsetting this balance through an overloaded international calendar. All our members are united in their belief that to restore this balance, domestic leagues must be protected.”

The WLA this year submitted a proposal to FIFA together with FIFPRO, “for a global governance framework establishing shared decision-making principles for the international calendar”.

FIFPRO, like the WLA, is excluded from FIFA decision-making. The WLA states that it is home to more than 4,000 clubs boasting 130,000 professional players, and recognizes FIFPRO as “the only legitimate international player representative”.

The European Football Clubs Body (formerly the ECA) has a seat at the table.

It is a striking imbalance in the global decision-making process that leaves leagues and players excluded, while clubs that would not exist without them are included. FIFA needs these clubs for its Club World Cup and has decided that it can afford to run roughshod over the leagues where the players earn money, and the players’ unions that represent the terms and welfare of the players.

FIFA’s confidence comes from president Gianni Infantino’s belief that he has the ECA and its chairman, Qatar’s Nasser al Khaleifi, backing him. Their relationship grew even closer after the CWC premiered in America this summer.

Apart from discussing threats to the club game and the existing football ecosystem, WLA members also conducted a series of workshops on general issues and discussed the transfer market.

While FIFA is exclusive in terms of who is allowed in, the WLA inclusively invites representatives from the European Leagues Association, FIFPRO, FIFPRO Europe, UEFA, FIFA, EFC and IFAB to attend.

“Football at all levels, from international competitions to the grassroots, needs strong national leagues to provide its foundations. Dialogue with FIFA is now crucial and it is in football’s best interests to involve leagues in any future decisions regarding the international calendar.”

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