Head of Norway’s football federation Klaveness calls on Infantino to leave FIFA — Politico Europe
Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian Football Federation, said during a conversation in Monaco that FIFA President Gianni Infantino should leave his post and that the system of governing world football needs thorough reform. As Politico Europe reports, the Norwegian football official believes FIFA’s problems are both personal and structural.
According to Klaveness, Infantino has increasingly moved away from the reforms on which he was elected FIFA president after the 2015 crisis. She stressed that the organization’s new leader must place the interests of sport and the search for compromises above personal ambitions. In her view, the upcoming FIFA Congress must adopt changes to the governance structure regardless of who leads the organization.
Reform proposals
Klaveness proposed forming FIFA committees responsible for oversight and the balance of powers more independently. In her view, such bodies should include people with proven experience in good governance rather than individuals loyal to the president.
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The head of the Norwegian federation also advocated reducing the 37-member FIFA Council. She believes its large composition makes the body ineffective and creates conditions in which one person can concentrate excessive influence. Other proposals include a clear division of powers between the FIFA president and administration: the president should play a less executive role, while the secretary general should manage administrative work.
Political influence and commercial interests
Klaveness said FIFA should move away from a strategy of constantly increasing commercial revenues, as the organization regulates the rules of the game, transfers, the international calendar and holds the World Cup. She also called for reviewing and implementing the reforms on which Infantino was elected president.
Separately, the Norwegian official expressed concern about insufficient distance between FIFA leadership and state leaders. She noted that cooperation with authorities is necessary to organize tournaments, but excessive closeness, in her view, may lead to requests for political favors that do not fall within the competence of a football organization. Klaveness also praised the professionalism of FIFA employees at the operational level and said she felt sorry for the organization’s staff because of the current situation.
