European Professional Football Leagues express concerns about World Cup expansion proposal

A meeting has taken place between EPFL and FIFA ©EPFL

Concerns have been expressed by the European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) about FIFA's proposal to increase the number of teams in the FIFA World Cup from 32 to 40 following a meeting in Zurich.

The "informal" meeting discussed reform recommendations recently approved by the FIFA Executive Committee based on the proposals from the 2016 FIFA Reform Committee.

This included increasing the number of teams competing in the sport's showpiece event, something the EPFL believes should not be debated during the current FIFA Presidential election campaign.

This topic "together with any matter relating to the professional side of the game" should be discussed at a later stage in an open and transparent way with all stakeholders, a statement claimed, conforming with criticisms already expressed by the European Club Association.

The EPFL was represented by chairman Frédéric Thiriez and general secretary Georg Pangl, while FIFA's delegation was headed by acting secretary general Markus Kattner, as well as acting deputy secretary general and director of legal affairs, Marco Villiger.

The meeting followed a tumultuous year in which FIFA has faced a number of corruption scandals, leading to the suspension of President Sepp Blatter and secretary general Jérôme Valcke.

EPFL chairman Frédéric Thiriez led the delegation of the professional football leagues body ©Getty Images

Thiriez welcomed the reform process currently being discussed within FIFA, stressing that good governance, democracy and transparency are key to restore the trust in the institutions and the individuals.

"The Leagues welcome the will of FIFA to involve the stakeholders in the future decision making processes," the EPFL statement added.

"Within this context, as competition organisers and representatives of all professional football clubs at national level, the leagues expressed their support for the creation of a new and enlarged executive body - the so called FIFA Council.

"They also reiterated their request to be fully included in this decision making body to be able to formally work in a positive and collaborative way with FIFA in all matters impacting professional football."

The EPFL also briefed FIFA about the recent creation of the World Leagues Forum, billed by Thiriez as an organisation where leagues all over the world can debate issues of common concern.

It shares the same philosophy and values of good governance, democracy and transparency that were discussed today with FIFA, he claimed.