Training Ground Notes: The FIFA-UEFA Power War Under the Shadow of Swiss Courts

Standing at Manchester City's CFA, when I watch Pep Guardiola drilling Kyle Walker to invert into midfield, I understand that football is not merely a game of ball and grass. It is a game of spheres of power. And that game of power has now left the pitch and moved to the docket of Swiss courts and the jurisdiction of Florida. On the 11th, at the European Football Clubs (EFC) general assembly in London, when Aleksander Ceferin used the 'Emperor's New Clothes' metaphor regarding the ongoing FIFA controversy, he was not just giving a speech in front of representatives of 900 clubs. He was sending a message. Before the 2026 World Cup, the plan called 'FIFA Forward Enterprise'—to sell football's most valuable assets, the World Cup and Club World Cup, to private investors—was blocked by Ceferin's metaphor, which was a masterstroke. In training ground terms, what we call 'the beat shifted before the formation showed it.' The news of European associations withdrawing support for FIFA is exactly like that—before the ball was kicked on the political pitch, the spectators already knew who would win. What is most crucial is that this conflict, ongoing since late July, has now reached the courts. UEFA did not just protest verbally; they went to a Florida court seeking documents from FIFA. Why Florida? Because it is suspected that a US-based entity or investor was involved in FIFA's private investment plan. Even bigger: UEFA is also gathering evidence to file a criminal complaint in Switzerland. Both organizations are based in Switzerland—this is not merely football politics, it is a question of Swiss corporate law. FIFA is a non-profit organization formed to serve its member associations. If that organization creates a commercial subsidiary to sell shares for profit, it contradicts FIFA's own governance principles. At the center of this battle are Gianni Infantino and Ceferin himself. What I see sitting at this Manchester training ground is a deep division between clubs and federations over football's future. With over 900 club members, the EFC is now Europe's largest bloc. The EFC chairman is Nasser Al-Khelaifi—president of PSG and member of the UEFA Executive Committee, mooted as a possible FIFA presidential candidate. But he has dismissed speculation with a 'zero interest' denial. This is a classic move in football politics. Just like the player transfer market, in politics some doors must be kept open, not closed. If no strong alternative candidate emerges against Infantino, Khelaifi's 'zero interest' may again become a subject of consideration. FIFA has counter-attacked. They said UEFA is running a 'misinformation campaign' and trying to influence the FIFA presidential election. The election will be held in Rabat, Morocco, next March. The nomination deadline is November 18. This election-centered politics is now affecting the entire football world. If Europe's leading national associations do withdraw support for Infantino—countries like England, Germany, Spain, Italy, France—that would be an earthquake. But the biggest missing link is that we do not know which national associations have stepped aside. If they are major football nations, the pressure on FIFA will increase significantly. Although written assurances have led UEFA to suspend its boycott threat for now, the fact that legal battles continue suggests they do not consider FIFA's 'written assurance' a final solution. With Nasser Al-Khelaifi leading the EFC and Ceferin's UEFA—these two forces being on the same side is a major challenge for FIFA. What I see from the training ground is that the fragments of football are no longer confined to formation diagrams. By mid-December, the pace of Swiss and American legal processes and the rate of national associations switching sides will determine who wins the March election. Just as there is a pause before every pass on the pitch, there is a similar silent pause in football politics. After that pause, where the ball goes is what remains to be seen.