No trust, credibility shot, FA’s are part of the ‘complicity of silence’. Tebas tells FIFA like it is

LaLiga’s outspoken president Javier Tebas has added his voice to criticisms of FIFA’s decision to lift US striker Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension at the request of US president Donald Trump.

In a damning statement that focuses on FIFA’s ethical integrity, Tebas says that the Balogun decision “is neither a mere anecdote nor an isolated mistake. It is, quite simply, the tip of the iceberg of a governance model that has been undermining the credibility of FIFA and football in general for many years.”

He goes on to criticise FIFA’s member associations who tacitly allow Infantino to run roughshod over them and the game in general, saying that they are part of a “complicit silence”.

Tebas makes the point that FIFA is making decisions that without any form of dialogue and without involving the leagues that drive the professional game all year.

There are very few that would disagree with Tebas. To date not a single football federation or football leader has come out in support of Infantino’s immediate capitulation to Trump. Only Trump himself has praised the decision.

“When rules can be interpreted or changed at will; when the most far-reaching decisions are made without real dialogue or agreement with the national leagues — even though they are the ones that keep professional football alive 365 days a year (the vast majority of professional clubs and players do not take part in international competitions); when a unilateral agenda is imposed without listening to football’s main stakeholders, the problem stops being a specific decision and becomes the system itself,” said Tebas.

“FIFA congresses are grand displays of unanimity, without any real debate, where decisions are already a foregone conclusion before voting even begins. There are no agreements with the national leagues; decisions are approved there that constantly harm them,” Tebas continued.

He goes on to say that under Infantino trust in FIFA has disappeared along with any credibility the world governing body had, and that the Balogun decision “is only the tip of the ice-berg”, and that everyone in football knows it.

“The Balogun case only reinforces this perception; it is only the tip of the iceberg. Moreover, if rules are systematically applied arbitrarily, trust disappears. And without trust, there is no institutional credibility,” said Tebas.

“Worse still, a large part of the football world is aware of this, but far too many people prefer to keep a complicit silence. Because staying silent is more comfortable than defending independence, transparency, and good governance,” he continued.

“World football deserves institutions that are accountable, respect the rules, and operate with full transparency — not through unilateral, discretionary, and arbitrary decisions… that undermine the trust of fans, clubs, leagues, and players.”

Welsh UEFA VP questions if Infantino is fit to lead football

UEFA vice-president Laura McAllister has added her voice to the condemnation of political interference in football and has questioned whether Infantino should remain in position.

“You’re creating an absolute cesspit for the future because anyone can appeal. Any political leader could potentially pick up the phone and say there’s a precedent for changing a punishment awarded to a player and I think it’s extremely dangerous,” said McAllister.

“I work with UEFA and we’re very clear what the rules of our competitions are. We know exactly what rules and regulations are applied – as do all the participants at the beginning – so to even create an environment where you can undermine the awarding of punishments on the pitch for right or wrong is very dangerous…”. 

“Politics that operate in football …. are very different to anything we would normally accept and tolerate…I think in a normal environment there would be doubts cast on Infantino’s leadership, but I think you have to say football isn’t a normal environment.”