European Football Clubs propose new global body as Aleksander Ceferin and Nasser Al-Khelaifi blast Gianni Infantino

UEFA president Ceferin launched a thinly veiled attack on FIFA president at the EFC General Assembly on Tuesday, as reported by Reuters.

Ceferin referenced Hans Christian Andersen's famous tale to criticise Infantino's leadership and recent proposals. "I call to mind Hans Christian Andersen's The Emperor's New Clothes. In the book an emperor is persuaded he's wearing magnificent clothes, which only the foolish or unfit can't see. His court goes along with it, until a child says all along what everyone can see... the emperor is naked! Perhaps the moral story is convenient words can't change uncomfortable realities."

The tensions stem largely from disputes over commercial rights and transparency. Ceferin sharply criticised recent attempts to transfer rights to a subsidiary business. He warned the assembly: "Imagine one of your senior executives secretly negotiating away one of your crown jewels, and your board, players and fans didn't know. Once you find out, what would your board do? Imagine the same person creates an award for a politician, and soon after the politician takes a phone call, the rules are not the same anymore. How many times would it have to happen at your clubs before the board say enough? It is time to say enough. No politics or amount of power gives anyone the right to sell football."

Adding to the pressure, EFC chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi used the event in Copenhagen to unveil plans for a new "World Football Clubs" body alongside the six continental confederations. Emphasising the need for global unity, he stated: "That is why now is the time to create World Football Clubs. Because every club around the world deserves to be represented; to have a voice, and a better chance to succeed."

He also delivered a pointed message regarding the ongoing disputes: "It is really sad to see the situation today. Instead of improving our game, we are wasting our time dealing with problems and issues. Football works when we listen to each other. When we are transparent between us. But most of all, when we are honest."

Looking ahead, the governance crisis in world football is poised to intensify as the presidential election approaches in March. FIFA have already accused UEFA of waging a misinformation campaign to influence the upcoming vote. With legal battles over investment proposals underway in US courts, the rift between Infantino and European leaders will likely dominate the sport's political landscape for the foreseeable future.