Premier League Chief Calls for FIFA Governance Reform

Premier League CEO Richard Masters has called for a fresh candidate to emerge and lead FIFA governance reform following controversy surrounding Gianni Infantino’s leadership.

Masters said football needs a new proposal capable of bringing the game’s confederations together ahead of the March 18 FIFA election. He also argued that any new leadership should consider changes to FIFA’s governance structure and examine the powers held by its president.

“I think that what obviously needs to happen now is ‌another ⁠candidate needs to emerge within the deadline (ahead of the March 18 election) ⁠with a new offer, a different offer that can hopefully unify the confederations,” Masters told reporters ahead of the Premier League’s opening fixtures this weekend.

He added that governance reform should form part of that proposal, while stressing that European football should not dictate how other regions operate.

Masters’ comments followed criticism of Infantino after he abandoned plans to sell a stake in the commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup. He had earlier described the move as pressing the ‘self-destruct button’.

The Premier League chief also rejected the idea of private equity investment in football governance. He said the league did not consider such a solution even during the financial pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Even during COVID, when people had ‌a big problem in front of them, we didn’t go near looking at a solution like that,” Masters said.

He maintained that the Premier League model remains successful, particularly in media rights, and sees no need for outside investment.

Could stronger FIFA governance reform help create greater unity across world football?