Tebas goes all in: "FIFA is destroying football, Infantino must go"

The president of LaLiga comes down extremely hard against the highest governing body in world football and, above all, against Infantino, who is doing "a lot of damage" to this sport

Javier Tebas returned to Madrid from New York after watching the second World Cup of the Spanish national team. The president of LaLiga returns happy with the victory but very angry with the role of FIFA throughout the tournament.

'"FIFA organizes things as it pleases, for its own interests, not for football. So if they need a 27-minute break, they do it. Hydration breaks are a farce. We have them in La Liga, but only when it is very hot. Here, the stadiums in Dallas, Los Angeles and Atlanta had air conditioning; I had to put on a sweater in the stands. It was a farce, a commercial break. And then there was the Balogun case," Tebas began by saying in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.'

The FIFA organizes things as it pleases, for its own interests, not for football. So if they need a 27-minute break, they do it. The hydration breaks are a sham

The highest-ranking leader of our domestic competition believes that those running FIFA are harming football. "It pursues only its own interests," says Tebas, who considers it difficult for things to change: "There are active accomplices in the system who collaborate with this type of decision, and passive accomplices who remain silent, do not speak out and do nothing to prevent certain things from happening again. They criticize the system while having a coffee at the bar or in private phone conversations, but then they do nothing to put an end to all this".

They criticize the system over a coffee at the bar or in private phone conversations, but then they do nothing to put an end to all this

One of the most regrettable matters, in his opinion, was the pardon of Balogun: "It is an extremely serious matter: they were lucky that Belgium eliminated the United States, because otherwise they could have caused a scandal that would have cost Infantino his job. Since Belgium won, they managed to bury the matter. But this is only the tip of the iceberg".

They were lucky that Belgium eliminated the United States, because otherwise they could have created a scandal that would have cost Infantino his position

The Super League ruling granted FIFA and UEFA immense power, confirming their monopoly. However, they should have used this monopoly to collaborate with the various stakeholders in our industry and for the good of football, with overall and regulatory transparency, and consensus-based decisions. Not to do what FIFA is doing. We have repeatedly denounced the problem of the schedule. And now they want to hold a World Cup with 64 teams," Tebas criticizes.

We have repeatedly denounced the problem with the calendar. And now they want to hold a World Cup with 64 teams. It makes no sense

"Increasing the number of national teams makes no sense. The football industry is not limited to the World Cup, which is the most important event. But not everything can revolve around the World Cup. It is the national competitions that sustain this sport. They are destroying the football industry, the one that generates tens of thousands of jobs, for an event that lasts 40 days and is attended by only a minority of players," comments the president of LaLiga.

Infantino should go, his time has come. But he has the support of the system. There is no opposition candidate; no one wants to run only to lose

"Tebas does not hesitate to clearly point the finger at Infantino, who in his opinion should step down as president of FIFA: "He should go, his time has come. But he has the support of the system, of the federations. There is no opposition candidate; no one wants to run only to lose. This is the system, and it is a flawed system from its very foundations. In the United States I have heard many people against Infantino, who do not agree with what he does. They say it, but then they do nothing. I do not know what is worse, silence or complicity, because those who remain silent are fully aware of the damage football is suffering.”