Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said Wednesday that FIFA needs a new presidential candidate and sweeping governance reforms amid growing turmoil surrounding Gianni Infantino’s leadership.
A day after accusing the FIFA president of pressing the "self-destruct button” with his now-abandoned plan to sell a stake in the commercial rights to the World Cup, Masters said any challenger should emerge before the nomination deadline with a platform capable of uniting the sport’s six confederations.
Speaking ahead of the Premier League season opener, Masters said the latest crisis had underscored the need to reassess FIFA’s power structure and strengthen its governance.
"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.
"And I do think that part of that offer should be to look at reform, governance reform.”
Masters said recent events warranted a reassessment of how FIFA operates.
"That’s not to say that people from Europe should dictate to other parts of the world about what should be reformed and how things should be decided,” he said.
"But it’d be right, at this juncture, given what’s happened, to look at those governance structures and also the role of the president and what power that president actually has, even if that person is coming in to reform their own sort of job description.”
Reuters has contacted FIFA for a response to Masters’ comments.
Masters said the Premier League had never entertained private equity interest similar to Infantino’s failed plan, even during the financial uncertainty created 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.
"The Premier League model works extremely well. We’re very successful in the media rights business, we’ve got a fantastic market share. There’s no necessity for us to look at an outside investment in that sense.”
Defending champion Arsenal host promoted Coventry City on Friday to kick off a new season that Masters said has an extra layer of intrigue.
With Manchester City’s iconic coach Pep Guardiola gone and nine new managers arriving, plus the departure of several high-profile players such as Rodri and Mohamed Salah, the league enters a period of transition that has created a sense of the unknown.
"Whilst we’ve got a few sort of big names leaving the stage, new stars, new stardust will emerge,” he said.
"It’s actually a chance, really, for the Premier League to look slightly different this season,” he added.
"I don’t know what it’s going to look like. I’m fascinated to work it out. But I think we should give all those new managers a chance.
"One era finishes and a new one emerges. No one’s quite sure who’s going to be the big names that emerge, the big personalities that emerge. But they will.”