Ceferin denounces "emperors" in football governance in pointed attack on FIFA
Aleksander Ceferin told European club owners that football does not need emperors, in a speech that directly challenged Gianni Infantino's leadership of world football's governing body.
Speaking at the 33rd General Assembly of the European Football Clubs (EFC) in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Slovenian lawyer used a Hans Christian Andersen metaphor to criticise the FIFA president's aborted plan to sell World Cup commercial rights to private investors.
"An emperor is convinced he is wearing magnificent clothes that only fools or incompetents cannot see," Ceferin said, drawing on The Emperor's New Clothes. "His court pretends to believe this story until a child says out loud what everyone can see: 'The emperor is naked'."
A private equity plan that sparked a governance crisis
The controversy centres on the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, which would have created a commercial subsidiary to manage rights for the World Cup and Club World Cup. FIFA sought to sell up to 20% to private investors, valuing the entity at approximately $20 billion and aiming to raise around $4.2 billion.
Gianni Infantino promoted the plan in July without prior consultation. He later abandoned it after sustained opposition.
"We are its guardians, not its owners. No one has the right to sell its future," Ceferin said, adding that football must "never forget that football is bigger than those who run it."
Despite the reversal, Ceferin has stated that trust in world football governance remains broken. The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), which he has led since 2016, is considering filing a criminal complaint in Switzerland against Infantino for "criminal mismanagement."
Three confederations demand Infantino's departure
The backlash extends beyond Europe. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) have joined UEFA in demanding Gianni Infantino's resignation.
Together, these three confederations represent 143 of FIFA's 211 member associations, roughly 68% of the global body.
UEFA threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments and has launched legal action in a United States court to access documents related to the failed project. CONCACAF criticised the "flagrant act of poor governance and leadership."
Several national federations have formally withdrawn their support for Infantino's re-election, including those of Switzerland and England. A senior FIFA adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned in protest at the scheme.
Infantino remains the only declared candidate for the FIFA presidency election scheduled for March 2027 in Rabat, Morocco. UEFA is actively seeking a challenger to run against him before the 18 November 2026 candidacy deadline.
Ceferin rules out FIFA bid as he prepares to leave UEFA
Ceferin, 58, has already announced he will not seek re-election as UEFA president when his current term ends next year. He cited the need for "new blood" and more time with his family.
Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the Qatari president of the EFC and Paris Saint-Germain, publicly urged Ceferin to stand again, telling the assembly in Copenhagen: "Football needs great leaders like you."
However, Ceferin has ruled out any future bid for the FIFA presidency and confirmed his intention to step away from UEFA leadership.
A new world organisation for football clubs
Al-Khelaifi used the EFC assembly to propose a new global body called World Football Clubs. The organisation would give clubs a unified institutional voice and act as a "seventh global pillar" alongside the six regional confederations.
The EFC itself has grown from 247 member clubs in 2021 to more than 900 across 55 countries today.
The Qatari official also welcomed the return of Real Madrid to the European club fold. An agreement in principle was reached in February 2024 between UEFA, the EFC and the clubs involved to resolve legal disputes stemming from the breakaway European Super League project. Barcelona, which had been among the last to withdraw from the breakaway initiative, is now fully reintegrated into the UEFA system.
"It is really sad to see the current situation," Al-Khelaifi said. "Football works when we listen to each other and are transparent, but above all when we are honest."
