ECA Media Release
The European Club Association congratulates Gianni Infantino on his election as FIFA President. ECA knows Gianni Infantino well through his previous role as UEFA General Secretary and takes the opportunity to thank him once again for the constructive and reform-oriented cooperation in recent years.
We also expect to cooperate with him as FIFA President in a transparent, democratic and fruitful manner for the benefit of football. As an important football stakeholder, ECA has the ambition of shaping the future of football together with FIFA through direct inclusion in the decision-making process on all issues affecting the professional game.
In this context, ECA reiterates its opposition to an expansion of the FIFA World Cup from 32 to 40 teams.
"Everyone, the clubs, as well as the national and international associations, bears responsibility for the players," explains Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, ECA Chairman. "We have reached a point where we cannot further burden the players, but need to relieve them. FIFA must fulfil this responsibility for the health of the players."