La Liga President: 'The Gianni Infantino era is over'

Javier Tebas, the La Liga chief, keeps criticizing Gianni Infantino, stating that the era of FIFA's current leadership is finished and that football requires a full-scale reform.

La Liga President Javier Tebas continues to publicly condemn Gianni Infantino, arguing that FIFA must completely change its governance to protect national leagues.

Javier Tebas has long been one of the most vocal opponents of FIFA and Gianni Infantino. In an interview with Le Monde, the La Liga chief continued to make strong statements, even suggesting that Infantino's leadership period should come to an end soon. “For me, the Gianni Infantino era ended long ago. What remains to be seen is when it will actually happen and how the transition will take place,” Tebas shared.

These remarks came shortly after FIFA was forced to withdraw its plan to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise, a project reportedly aimed at expanding commercial activities and attracting outside private investment.

Tebas believes that the project's failure is just a symptom of deeper issues in FIFA's operations. According to him, plans under Infantino are increasingly putting pressure on national football systems, especially domestic leagues. “Infantino is not a contributor to football's development. On the contrary, his projects are destroying the foundation of football, which are the national leagues,” the La Liga president remarked.

Tebas also emphasized that football cannot serve only the top clubs and leagues. He expects change at FIFA to be systemic rather than simply replacing a few senior officials. “The problem is not just about an individual, but about an entire system. The old system can easily persist even when the leaders change,” Tebas said.

According to him, FIFA needs to build a new governance model that is more transparent and effective, while prioritizing the interests of the entire football ecosystem.

Pressure on Infantino is also mounting from several quarters in Europe. The Norwegian Football Federation has publicly called for his resignation, while some European federations are reported to have withdrawn their support for his next term.

Nevertheless, Infantino still enjoys considerable backing from many other regions, including major football nations such as Argentina and Mexico. Additionally, the risk of a confrontation between UEFA and FIFA is making the future of global football governance increasingly unpredictable.