Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga demand FIFA reform amid Gianni Infantino re-election bid

Four of Europe's biggest leagues -- the Premier League, LaLiga, the Bundesliga and Serie A -- have called for reform at FIFA in the wake of Gianni Infantino's failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.

Infantino has vowed to stand for re-election as FIFA president next year despite the uproar caused by the proposal, labelled "FIFA Forward Enterprise," which has now been withdrawn due to the scale of opposition to the idea.

In a joint statement issued on Friday, the four leagues said Infantino had "actively promoted abusive initiatives rather than protecting football from them" and called for fundamental reform at world football's governing body.

As well as the sell-off plan, this summer's World Cup saw a number of controversies involving FIFA and Infantino, including the decision to overturn the red card awarded to USMNT forward Folarin Balogun.

"In recent years, football's historic foundations have been threatened by a fundamental governance problem," the statement said. "The FIFA President has actively promoted abusive initiatives rather than protecting football from them.

"And although football stakeholders ultimately succeeded in having the FIFA Forward Enterprise [FFE] project withdrawn, the conditions that gave rise to it remain in place.

"The FIFA President has now acknowledged the need for reform, but considering superficial procedural changes in the wake of the FFE episode is not enough; a profound governance reform is essential to re-establish clear constitutional limits within FIFA and ensure, among other things, that individual disciplinary matters remain unequivocally protected from any political interference."

The four leagues went on to accuse FIFA of "relentless expansionism," saying the body "unilaterally makes far-reaching decisions that directly affect us, such as expanding the International Match Calendar."

They went on to call for "a new governance structure" for FIFA, which would include the establishment of "a permanent body representing key stakeholders, including national associations, leagues, clubs, and players from both men's and women's football," which would "receive full information regarding new initiatives and play a meaningful role in FIFA's decision-making process."

The leagues also called for FIFA's plans to be "based on a clearly defined rationale, supporting data, and an independent assessment, all published before any decision is adopted."

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The FFE project met fierce opposition from European football's governing body, UEFA -- who threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments if Infantino continued with the plan -- as well as CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation.

Earlier this month UEFA vice-president Laura McAllister told ESPN that Infantino's plan "struck at the very heart of the principles of the game," with UEFA now pursuing legal action.

The next elections for FIFA president are due to take place in March, at the FIFA Congress in Morocco.