Dutch FA calls for FIFA summit without Infantino as pressure mounts

The Dutch football federation has called for an international summit on the future of FIFA without its president Gianni Infantino, saying the world governing body needs new leadership and radical structural change.

The Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbalbond (KNVB) said it had lost confidence in the 56-year-old Swiss, who has faced growing criticism over his shelved FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan to bring private investment into FIFA events, including the men’s and women’s World Cups.

Infantino has also been accused of bowing to pressure from United States President Donald Trump and coming close to breaching some of FIFA’s long-standing rules.

In a letter to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, the KNVB said the organisation’s governance needed to be overhauled. It urged associations and confederations from across the world to discuss what FIFA should look like before deciding who should lead it.

“The KNVB no longer has confidence in the leadership of FIFA President Gianni Infantino,” the KNVB statement said.

“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.”

Infantino was elected in 2016 after Sepp Blatter stood down and had appeared likely to win a fourth and final term unopposed at the FIFA Congress in Rabat next March.

That position has weakened following the failure of the FFE proposal. The Norwegian Football Federation has called for Infantino to resign, while the KNVB has now set out plans for a major reform of FIFA without him at the helm.

Candidates wishing to challenge Infantino must declare their intention by 18 November. CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani is regarded as the most likely potential challenger, after Ceferin said he would not stand.

The KNVB said its proposed changes should not be seen as a European attempt to dictate FIFA’s future to 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 Dutch federation identified three priorities: improving governance to create a better balance of power, placing football’s social influence at the heart of FIFA, and increasing investment in the game worldwide.

A central criticism of Infantino has been a perceived lack of transparency, despite his commitments on that issue when he was first elected. He has also been accused of taking decisions alone or with the involvement of only a small inner circle.

The FFE proposal was cited as an example. According to The New York Times, five senior FIFA directors were informed about the plan at a meeting in a New York hotel on the eve of last month’s World Cup final in the United States.

“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.”

The KNVB said it wanted these issues examined by football associations and confederations through an International Summit on the Future of FIFA. It offered to host the meeting in Amsterdam, a city it described as having 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 declined to comment directly on the letter, saying it had been intended to remain private.

“We would prefer not to comment on correspondence that was intended to be private,” UEFA said.

“We can only add that we have a long-standing, productive working relationship with KNVB, which we greatly appreciate.”