La Liga president Javier Tebas has called on FIFA president Gianni Infantino to resign, accusing him of “destroying the football industry” by expanding international competitions at the expense of domestic leagues and clubs.
The comment is the latest in a series of criticisms of FIFA’s expanding tournament schedule, which several domestic leagues and clubs argue is placing increasing pressure on players and disrupting the football calendar.
Tebas made the remarks in an interview with Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport published on Tuesday, as debate continued over FIFA’s growing calendar and suggestions that the 2030 World Cup could be expanded from 48 to 64 teams.
Speaking on growing criticism of Infantino’s leadership, Tebas argued that the FIFA president continues to enjoy the backing of national football federations despite mounting concerns from within the game.
“He shouldn’t stay, but the current state of affairs means he won’t leave,” Tebas said.
“There’s no opposition candidate; no one wants to run just to lose. This is the system, and it’s a system that’s flawed from the ground up. I’ve heard a lot of people who oppose Infantino and disagree with what he’s doing. They say it privately, but then they don’t do anything, ” the La Liga chief added.
Tebas also criticised FIFA’s handling of the one-match suspension imposed on United States striker Folarin Balogun following a red card at the FIFA Club World Cup, claiming the sanction was postponed after the intervention of U.S. President Donald Trump.
“The suspension of the American player’s ban is an extremely serious matter. They were lucky Belgium eliminated the U.S., because otherwise a case could have arisen that might have cost Infantino his job,” he said.
“Since Belgium won, they managed to bury the matter. But these things are just the tip of the iceberg.”