This week, FIFA approved changes to its articles that make it easier for the organisation to move its headquarters from Zurich. A former sports minister told RTS that he thinks Swiss criticism of the organisation in recent years is a factor.
Until recently, Zurich was specified as the home of FIFA in the organisation’s articles. On 17 May 2024, FIFA’s governing body voted to remove this designation. This means moving the headquarters will now require only 50% of members to vote in favour of a move rather than the previous requirement of 75%, the threshold required to change the organisation’s constitution.
Zurich has been home to FIFA since 1932. So why would the organisation want to clear the way to change this? When asked by the media, FIFA said that it was happy in Switzerland. There are many sporting and international organisations in Switzerland, and Zurich will remain our headquarters, it said. We also plan to sound out possibilities in other parts of Switzerland and expand or presence there, it added.
FIFA recently opened an office in Paris. In addition, its legal services division is based in Florida.
Philippe Leuba, a former sports minister in the canton of Vaud, expressed concerns about the recent change to the organisation’s articles. Leuba, pointed out that only 25% of the governing members are European. This means that non-Europeans could change FIFA’s home against the preferences of all of the Europeans, a fact he described as non-trivial.
According to Leuba the decision doesn’t come from nowhere. The numerous critics of FIFA in Switzerland have certainly had an impact, he said.
More on this:
RTS article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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