Four European leagues urge sweeping FIFA governance reforms

Four of Europe's biggest football leagues have called for sweeping reforms at FIFA, increasing pressure on president Gianni Infantino. In a joint statement, the top leagues from England, Germany, Italy and Spain set out what they want:

• stronger checks and balances
• clear constitutional boundaries
• greater separation between FIFA's regulatory and commercial functions

The move follows Infantino's abandoned attempt earlier this year to push through a plan involving outside investment in FIFA's commercial operations. That plan was dropped after a backlash across world football. Football journalist Tim Vickery said the intervention is part of Europe's attempt to unseat Infantino. But he added that efforts to remove him have not been successful so far.

Vickery noted that over the last 65 years there have been fewer FIFA presidents than popes. The FIFA president has an enormous power of patronage, with a membership of 211 nations. A rival candidate to Infantino would have to emerge by the middle of November, and there is no sign of one yet. The only continent that seems solidly against Infantino is Europe, Vickery said.

If opponents cannot remove Infantino or outvote him at the next FIFA Congress, the new approach is to try to limit his control. That is the focus of the leagues' reform demands: stronger checks and balances, clearer constitutional limits and a bigger separation between FIFA's regulatory and commercial work.