In just under a month, European football’s leading clubs will gather in Copenhagen for a meeting that could become an important moment in their growing opposition to FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
The European Football Clubs (EFC) General Assembly will take place from 28 to 30 September, bringing together representatives of more than 800 clubs from across the continent.
EFC describes the gathering as “the biggest event of the season for European clubs”, with club leaders expected to debate the game’s most important issues, agree shared priorities and discuss its future, according to Foot Mercato.
The organisation also presents the assembly as “the only time in the season when clubs of all sizes come together to influence the future of the game”.
FIFA governance and the crisis surrounding Infantino are expected to dominate the discussions. EFC has publicly opposed the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise project, which aims to sell stakes in the World Cup to investors.
That opposition means the Copenhagen meeting could become another significant stage in the wider European protest movement against Infantino and FIFA’s current direction.
The assembly is expected to have implications beyond those of a routine annual meeting. EFC says the event is a major fixture in the football calendar, where new partnerships are formed, innovative ideas are exchanged and solutions tailored to the game’s challenges are developed.
Its stated objectives include “strengthening competitions, developing women’s football, promoting the development of young talent, ensuring financial sustainability and securing the long-term future of football”.
With the relationship between European clubs and FIFA under increasing scrutiny, the meeting could also carry added political weight because of speculation surrounding Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
There have been rumours that the Paris Saint-Germain president could stand for the UEFA presidency. If that were to happen, his reported candidacy would raise the significance of the Copenhagen discussions and potentially strengthen the political influence of the clubs represented there.
The timing is also important. The EFC assembly will be held only a few months before the FIFA presidential election, giving Europe’s clubs an opportunity to present a united position at a crucial point in the international football calendar.
A collective front involving more than 800 European clubs could send a strong message to Infantino and affect the balance of power within world football.
The Copenhagen gathering therefore has the potential to be more than an annual institutional meeting. It may provide European clubs with a platform to coordinate their priorities, reinforce their opposition to FIFA’s plans and demonstrate the scale of their influence ahead of the presidential contest.
