World News
Dutch football association calls for replacement of FIFA President Gianni Infantino by 2027
The KNVB has lost confidence in Infantino's leadership, proposing a major overhaul of FIFA's governance structure and calling for an international summit.
The short version
- The Dutch football association (KNVB) declared it has lost confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino and wants him replaced when his term ends in 2027.
- The KNVB is calling for a major overhaul of FIFA's governance, arguing that too much power is concentrated around the presidency.
- To discuss these reforms, the KNVB has invited global football associations and confederations to an upcoming summit in Amsterdam.
Key facts
- The Dutch football association (KNVB), a founding member of FIFA, issued a statement on Sunday declaring it no longer supports President Gianni Infantino and wants new leadership from 2027 onward.[Al Jazeera]
- The KNVB proposed hosting an International Summit on the Future of FIFA in Amsterdam to discuss structural reforms before choosing a new president.[Al Jazeera]
- Proposed reforms by the KNVB include shifting operational leadership to the secretary-general, reducing the president's role to a global representative, strengthening checks and balances, and reinvesting up to 90 percent of distributable revenue into football development.[Al Jazeera]
- Infantino is expected to run for re-election in March, though regional bodies previously considered a vote of no confidence after an aborted proposal to sell stakes in FIFA events to private equity investors.[Al Jazeera]
- UEFA, of which the KNVB is a member, has requested permission from a US federal court to obtain documents and testimony from Florida-based FIFA entities for a planned criminal complaint against Infantino in Switzerland.[Al Jazeera]
What remains uncertain
- FIFA did not respond to requests for comment regarding the KNVB's statement and summit proposal.[Al Jazeera]