Tebas opens fire on FIFA: "the Rabat apology" is not a solution to the crisis

Javier Tebas has escalated his war of words with FIFA. The La Liga president, seizing on the crisis that has engulfed football's governing body in recent weeks, argues that hiding crucial decisions from the responsible bodies and football's stakeholders worldwide amounts to "a very serious breakdown in institutional governance".

Writing on X today, Tebas dismissed what he called "the Rabat apology" as no solution to the crisis gripping the international federation. This goes far beyond a problem of communication, he insisted.

After the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, FIFA announced a proposal to sell 20% of FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a new subsidiary the federation planned to set up to run its commercial operations and events, the World Cup included.

Gianni Infantino later abandoned the project, pulling it after a huge wave of international anger.

Tebas demands responsibilities be identified

Owning up to a cover-up cannot end with a simple apology, Tebas argued. He stressed the need to name whoever took these decisions and hold them accountable.

"Asking for forgiveness is not enough," the La Liga president said, demanding that "whoever decided to act in this way be identified and held responsible". The man who led the process and oversaw it directly cannot escape responsibility, he added, in a clear jab at Infantino.

His criticism didn't stop at the commercial company. Tebas reopened the case of American striker Folarin Balogun, whose suspension was lifted during the World Cup after political pressure that President Donald Trump publicly acknowledged, clearing the player to feature in the following round-of-16 tie against Belgium.

Tebas branded the episode "an unacceptable political interference in the independence of football's disciplinary system", while dismissing Infantino's explanations of the case as unconvincing.

Criticism of support for Infantino

The La Liga chief also turned his fire on the recent statements of support for Infantino from the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the Argentine Football Association and several other national federations.

Far from ending the crisis, these positions actually expose what Tebas sees as the heart of the matter: "the real problem in the governance of world football lies in the system itself".

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His comments follow the Rabat meeting that FIFA held this week in Morocco, with criticism of Infantino mounting over the proposed commercial company.

Rabat should not become "a ceremony to acquit" those behind the crisis, the La Liga president warned, insisting that what happened must be "a turning point" in how world football is run.

Tebas signed off by declaring that the current system is beset by problems of transparency, independence and the concentration of power. It was fresh criticism to add to a string of stances rejecting the way football's governing body has been run of late.

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