Tebas says FIFA leadership crisis runs far deeper than abandoned plans

Javier Tebas has renewed his criticism of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, saying the Swiss must leave his position and that the withdrawal of a proposal to privatise competitions does not resolve what he describes as a much wider governance crisis in world football’s governing body.

Tebas, president of La Liga, said FIFA’s decision to withdraw the proposal was welcome but warned that it would be a serious mistake to treat the matter as closed.

“Infantino must not continue. FIFA’s withdrawal of its proposal to privatise competitions is good news. But it would be a serious mistake to believe that the governance problem has been resolved,” Tebas wrote on his X account.

He said confederations, national associations, leagues and players should continue to challenge decisions made by FIFA rather than accept the withdrawal as the end of the dispute.

“The confederations, associations, leagues and players must not be satisfied with this withdrawal and consider the matter closed. The problem is much deeper,” he added.

Tebas questioned whether football had forgotten a series of previous controversies involving FIFA, including the revocation of a red card following political interference, the dropping of proceedings in historic corruption cases and what he called scandalous World Cup ticket prices.

“Have we already forgotten the revocation of the red card following political interference? The abandonment of proceedings in historic corruption cases at FIFA? The scandalous prices of World Cup tickets?” he wrote.

He also criticised decisions concerning the international football calendar, newly created competitions and changes to tournament formats, arguing that they had been made without meaningful discussion or agreement with the parties affected.

“Unilateral decisions concerning the dates of international matches, new competitions and their formats, taken without real dialogue or agreement with the parties concerned? The problem was never just one proposal,” wrote the La Liga president.

Tebas concluded by calling for a change at the top of FIFA and said the withdrawal of a single proposal could not erase the organisation’s previous actions.

“For all these reasons, I believe that Gianni Infantino should not remain at the head of FIFA. Football needs new leadership. Withdrawing one proposal does not erase everything that has happened. This is only the tip of the iceberg,” Tebas said.

His comments extend his repeated attacks on Infantino and frame the dispute as an issue of institutional leadership rather than a disagreement over one specific plan. Tebas argues that FIFA’s wider approach to governance, its handling of past cases and its decisions over competitions and international matches must also be examined.

The withdrawal of the proposal has therefore failed to satisfy the La Liga president, who believes football’s governing bodies and players should continue to demand greater involvement in major decisions.