Pieth calls on European associations to resist FIFA President Infantino

Europe's role and UEFA as a counterweight

The expert's core demand is directed at Europe. "Ohne Europa geht im Grunde nichts, diese Macht sollten die Verbände einsetzen," said Pieth. At the same time, he pointed to an antitrust option available to UEFA: "Dabei könnte die UEFA die FIFA auch kartellrechtlich hart angehen." This would allow the European association to build pressure not only politically but also legally.

Pieth considers a separation of UEFA from FIFA at least conceivable, as he explained with reference to possible consequences: "Die UEFA könnte sagen: Wir machen das alleine, wir gehen raus aus der FIFA und organisieren eine riesige Fußball-EM." Such a step would be a radical break with the existing association structure, but would allow the European associations to control their own competitions and marketing channels.

Deficits in ethics and oversight

Pieth also sees structural deficits in the supervisory bodies. "Die Ethikkommission etwa würde ihm zufolge nur formal existieren. Unabhängigkeit gibt es nicht in der FIFA - und dementsprechend auch keine Kontrolle," said Pieth. As a result, the world federation lacks the institutional prerequisites to effectively sanction misconduct by officeholders.

Blatter as a model — and a warning

The comparison with former FIFA President Joseph Blatter, who led the world federation from 1998 to 2016, runs like a red thread through Pieth's analysis. Infantino has taken over and further expanded the system of power concentration built by Blatter. Pieth therefore considers the hope for reforms from within to be slim.

Resistance or acquiescence?

Pieth's appeal, however, is not without pessimism. "Aber offenbar gab es bislang nicht die Bestrebungen im europäischen Fußball, sich zusammenzutun und gegen Infantino etwas zu unternehmen," the report states. The European associations accordingly shy away from confrontation with FIFA headquarters and evidently fear economic or political disadvantages.

Among the actors mentioned in the report as observers or potential adversaries of Infantino is also the name Donald Trump, who is referenced several times in the article. The precise connections between the Trump administration and the criticism of FIFA cannot be conclusively clarified on the basis of the available facts. What is clear is that the geopolitical tensions further complicate the environment of the world federation.

Pieth himself remains combative despite his sharp analysis. His call to the European associations is ultimately an appeal for self-empowerment: Use your voices, use your legal options, use your antitrust instruments. Whether the appeal actually becomes a movement now depends on whether UEFA and its member associations are willing to seek confrontation with Infantino.