GENEVA: FIFA has come under increased pressure to change the way it governs football after the European leagues joined top clubs in criticizing its management style. The European Professional Football Leagues, which represents 30 leagues across Europe, said Friday that FIFA should “reconsider its decision-making process and enhance participative democracy.” The EPFL's “dissatisfaction” echoes the European Club Association's warning Tuesday that it was losing patience with FIFA President Sepp Blatter's organization. Europe's leagues and clubs are unhappy that FIFA leaders publicly debated switching the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to a winter slot, potentially causing chaos for the European season. They were only partly placated by Blatter's assurance Monday that the 2022 debate was “settled” in favor of a traditional summer slot. Following a board meeting in Madrid, the EPFL said it “cannot avoid expressing its dissatisfaction with the way such a significant matter was dealt with.” The Qatar situation also stirred up feelings about FIFA's management of the international calendar, which dictates when clubs must release their players for national team duty. The leagues and clubs both pointed out this week that FIFA's executive committee added eight international match dates to “overburden” the 2011-2014 calendar last year without consulting them. FIFA did not announce the changes in its official news release following a June 6-7 meeting in Johannesburg, and instead informed national federations in a circular letter two weeks later. “This was another unilateral decision which causes major problems to leagues and clubs, taken without any prior explanation and consultation with those who it affects,” the EPFL said.
