The European Club Association, which represents 220 teams including all the biggest ones, has told FIFA that the world governing body "can no longer be trusted to reform itself and slammed plans to increase the World Cup to 40 teams," according to Owen Gibson of the London GUARDIAN. FIFA unveiled new reform proposals on Thursday but "they were overshadowed" by the arrests of two VPs and charges against a total of 16 individuals by the U.S. Department of Justice, which alleges a $200M bribery scheme. ECA said, “ECA had misgivings towards the manner in which Fifa managed this reform process but agreed to give Fifa the benefit of the doubt believing that it was serious in its attempt to modernise the governance of world football. However, given the recommendations that have now been presented, ECA was right to believe that a reform process led from within is unable to deliver a sustainable governance model which is fit for the 21st century” (GUARDIAN, 12/4). REUTERS' Brian Homewood reported ECA said its members were "not prepared to be further ignored" and were leaving "all options open." ECA: "ECA will now take the required time to assess how it wishes to position itself in relation to this latest development, leaving all options open." Nearly "all the world's top players are with European teams." FIFA's int'l competitions "depend on a calendar, agreed between FIFA and the clubs, which allow them to be released for their national teams on certain dates." If the clubs were to pull out of those agreements, it could throw int'l football "into chaos." ECA was "particularly angry that a proposal had been discussed to increase the four-yearly World Cup to 40 teams from the current 32, even though the idea has now been put on hold." ECA said that the proposal had been made "without prior consultation with the clubs (in full knowledge of the impact this will have on the professional club game)" (REUTERS, 12/4).
