Former FIFA ethics chief calls for independent oversight reforms

Former FIFA ethics committee chairman Hans-Joachim Eckert has called for far-reaching reforms at football’s world governing body, including independent oversight bodies and greater transparency, BR24Sport reported.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing the biggest crisis of his nearly 10-year tenure. A proposal to sell World Cup rights to investors has caused international outrage, while Infantino has faced new allegations almost daily.

Eckert, who previously led the FIFA Ethics Committee’s adjudicatory chamber, said the organisation had fundamental structural weaknesses. In an interview with BR24Sport, the former Munich judge criticised the weakening of internal oversight mechanisms and accused Infantino of increasingly pursuing “his own interests” without involving decision-making bodies.

He cited unanswered questions surrounding a peace prize initiated by FIFA and awarded for the first time in 2025 to US President Donald Trump. According to Eckert, it remains unclear who launched the initiative, commissioned it or arranged its financing. Such matters should be reviewed by an independent ethics committee, he said.

“If they are afraid of Infantino, nothing will change,” Eckert said. “There must once again be a climate in which people deal with each other openly and transparently.”

Eckert led the FIFA Ethics Committee’s adjudicatory chamber from 2012 to 2017 and played a key role in investigations into the corruption scandal involving then-FIFA President Sepp Blatter. The proceedings led to suspensions for Blatter and senior officials in 2015.

Eckert lost his position shortly after Infantino took office. He regards Infantino’s inauguration as a turning point. The original plan was for the FIFA president to represent the organisation while the secretary general ran its operations. Infantino, however, had increasingly concentrated decision-making powers in his own hands, Eckert said.

Eckert said independent commissions had gradually been weakened and that some responsibility for ethics proceedings had been transferred to continental football confederations. This created a risk that cases would no longer be handled independently.

He said FIFA could still be renewed through a thorough examination of current events and by strengthening independent institutions. In addition to an independent ethics committee, he called for effective compliance and finance departments to review the use of funds and financial flows independently. Any potentially criminal violations should be investigated by the relevant authorities, he said.

Eckert was sceptical of a proposed model under which FIFA’s leadership would rotate between continental confederations every two years. Although the idea might initially appear democratic, he said it could create significant conflicts between the confederations.

Instead, Eckert advocated a clear division of responsibilities. A strong, independent secretary general should run FIFA’s operations, while the president’s role should focus more closely on representing football without extensive operational powers. The president should act as an ambassador for football, he said.