Former German international and Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as suggesting Europe’s top clubs are contemplating a permanent break with FIFA.
Speaking in his capacity as chairman of the European Club Association, an organisation comprised of several of Europe’s top clubs (including Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool), Rummenigge called for a “revolution” against the “corrupt people” at FIFA, according to Rafa Hoenigstein in the Guardian.
“Sepp Blatter is saying [that he's cleaning up shop] but the fact that no one believes him tells you everything you need to know. I’m not optimistic because they believe the system is working perfectly as it is. It’s a money machine, World Cup after World Cup. And for them, that’s more important than serious and clean governance.”
Suspecting many national associations too beholden to funding that can be traced to FIFA, Rummenigge believes it falls to the continent’s most powerful clubs to provoke change at the game’s highest adminsitrative level, particularly when the clubs themselves are forced to deal with the consequences of an increasingly crowded international calendar.
