Infantino must go by 2027 in FIFA overhaul, Dutch football body says

What the report says

The Dutch football association, KNVB, has called for a major reform of FIFA and said president Gianni Infantino should be replaced by 2027. In a statement reported by Al Jazeera, the KNVB said it had lost confidence in Infantino and argued that changing the person at the top would not be enough without a wider overhaul of how the global governing body is run.

The KNVB wants to bring together national associations and confederations at an international summit in Amsterdam to discuss the future structure of FIFA. It said the meeting should first define what kind of organization football wants, then identify new leadership. Among its proposals are stronger checks and balances, a clearer separation between the FIFA presidency and the administration, and a governance model in which the secretary-general handles management while the president represents the organization.

The Dutch body also said FIFA should give greater weight to human rights, sustainability and international cooperation in decision-making, and it suggested that up to 90 percent of distributable revenue should be reinvested in football development. The KNVB’s intervention comes as Infantino is expected to seek re-election in March, and after criticism from some football bodies over his governance style and an abandoned plan to explore private equity involvement in FIFA events. FIFA did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.