Representatives from clubs, leagues and players came together with Member Associations, Confederations and the FIFA Administration today in Zurich at the first meeting of FIFA’s Football Stakeholder Committee. It was created to provide a platform for FIFA to engage in a meaningful manner with key stakeholders in professional football so that relationships can be enhanced, and ideas and opinions exchanged to forge unity across the game.
Today’s meeting was chaired by FIFA Vice President and CONCACAF President, Victor Montagliani. This diverse group of stakeholders from all Confederations discussed a broad spectrum of issues including: the establishment of a taskforce to improve the international transfer system, potential improvements that could be made to the future International Match Calendar, the recent IFAB meeting in London and the transformation of FIFA Club Licensing from a strict regulatory instrument into a principle based professionalization programme.
Opening today’s Football Stakeholders Committee FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “Engaging with all of the stakeholders involved in the professional game is paramount to FIFA. This meeting was a great opportunity to discuss a broad range of topics and to boost the collaboration between FIFA and those involved in professional football. FIFA 2.0 maps out the role of the Football Stakeholders Committee, which is to bring everyone together in a structured way to address key issues, and today’s meeting was a great example of that.”
The Chairman of the FIFA Football Stakeholders Committee Victor Montagliani said: “Representatives from the top clubs, leagues and player associations around the world sat together this afternoon in constructive atmosphere for a full and holistic discussion on the growth of the game. A key motivational factor among participants is a shared wish to find solutions to the problems those involved in the professional game are facing. We look forward to building on the momentum today’s meeting has generated.”
FIFA looks committed to including stakeholders in its decision-making processes in order to build a stronger institution to govern, regulate and protect football. The FIFA Congress unanimously approved landmark reforms in 2016. As part of these reforms the Football Stakeholders Committee was established as a channel to engage directly with leagues, clubs and players. It aims to break down barriers and provide tools for engagement with the football community.