The president of La Liga has launched a vicious verbal attack on Infantino, claiming that the FIFA president’s tenure as the head of international football is over. In a thorough interview with ‘Le Monde’, Tebas was candid in his evaluation of the current situation of the international regulatory organisation. This attack’s timing is especially poignant because it occurred soon after FIFA was forced to give up on a covert project called ‘FIFA Forward Enterprise’, which aimed to open a commercial organisation to outside private investors.

Tebas contended that this unsuccessful endeavour was only a sign of a more serious, structural breakdown in Zurich’s power structures. “For me, Gianni Infantino’s time has long since passed. I’m not saying this because of recent events; I have noticed this style of management for a long time, though everyone else seems to be discovering it only now,” Tebas stated.

The idea that Infantino’s vision for the global game is fundamentally incompatible with the existence of domestic tournaments is at the heart of the La Liga chief’s critique. He reiterated this opinion, saying that the present FIFA leadership is deliberately weakening the sport’s fundamentals. “Infantino is not someone who contributes to the growth of football. On the contrary, his projects are destroying the very essence of football: the national leagues,” Tebas told the French media.

“Football is not limited to the elite. For me, the Infantino era is over. What remains to be seen is when that will take effect and how the succession will unfold. I hope it is not just a matter of swapping out some people for others, but of a genuine overhaul,” Tebas added.

Tebas was cautious to point out that the issues affecting the sport go beyond the character of a single person, implying that a complete overhaul of FIFA‘s culture is necessary to stop the same mistakes from happening again.

He pointed out that even when new people assume the top position, the ‘old system’ tends to endure. “What is happening does not surprise me. What does surprise me is the reaction of many people who remained silent for years,” he remarked.

“And the problem is not limited to one person: It is about an entire system. The old system can persist even when the people change. Let’s hope things truly change, that a new leader arrives, and that new governance is established at FIFA,” Tebas explained.