BOGOTÁ, Colombia — Groups representing the world’s top soccer leagues and clubs are pushing back against FIFA President Gianni Infantino over plans to introduce new competitions, accusing him of ignoring some of the game’s biggest stakeholders to push through major changes without proper consultation.
In a series of strongly worded letters, reviewed by The New York Times and presented at Friday’s meeting of FIFA’s governing council, the clubs and leagues accused Infantino of backsliding on his promise to lead through consensus, and of putting player health in jeopardy with plans for a new expanded international club tournament and a global women’s league for national teams.