The European Union's competition commission has refused to investigate a complaint from European professional football leagues against FIFA. This complaint was filed in October 2024 due to FIFA's abuse of its dominant position and claims that FIFA uses its international competition calendar to benefit its commercial interests.
Football Leagues' Complaint and Commission's Response
The football leagues' complaint alleges that FIFA's dual role as the governing body and organizer of competitions leads to conflicts of interest and contributes to the enrichment of this body. This complaint has recently been extended to women's football, but the commission has not yet taken any formal action in this regard.
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A senior EU official familiar with the details of the case has stated that the competition commission has put the European leagues' complaint in a "frozen" state. This situation reflects the commission's reluctance to initiate investigations into sports federations, as current and former EU officials have stated that sports have a special status in EU law, and these bodies exercise caution due to the emotional and political weight of such cases.
Pressure on the Commission to Act
However, pressure on the competition commission is increasing. A group of Members of the European Parliament has urged the commission to use its antitrust powers to limit FIFA. In a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, representatives from various parties have called for action regarding the complaint from the football leagues, which represents 53 professional men's and women's football leagues across the continent.
Members of the European Parliament pointed out that FIFA's implementation of the competition calendar raises concerns about FIFA's use of regulatory powers to advance its commercial interests and emphasized that these powers should be exercised transparently, objectively, and proportionately.
The European Commission, as the overseer of internal markets, has conducted major investigations into the behavior of large companies such as Gazprom and Google over the past 15 years. However, the commission's caution regarding sports is a long-standing issue. Many sports disputes, including doping penalties and scheduling of competitions, do not relate to competition laws.
Richardo Cardoso, a spokesperson for the commission, stated that sports bodies have the primary responsibility for organizing global events and that sports are primarily a matter for national governments. However, representatives of the football leagues have discussed their case in a meeting with Teresa Ribera, the competition commissioner, but no results have been achieved so far.
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