Max Eberl Criticizes FIFA’s Profit Motive Amid European Unrest
Max Eberl did not bother with diplomacy.
Speaking on Wednesday, the Bayern Munich sporting director tore into FIFA’s leadership and the direction in which Gianni Infantino is dragging the game.
"I am ashamed that we even discuss such ideas in football. Football does not belong to us," the 52-year-old said, as quoted by Sky Sport. "I have the feeling that FIFA exists solely to make a profit. It disgusts me."
That word – disgust – cut through the usual boardroom language. This was not a gentle warning. It was a full-blooded accusation aimed squarely at Zurich.
European patience running out
The clash between FIFA and Europe has been simmering for years. Now it is close to boiling over.
Reports of a potential World Cup boycott by UEFA nations are no longer whispered what-ifs. They are being discussed as a genuine weapon if Infantino pushes ahead with his investment model, which critics see as another step in turning the World Cup into a cash cow for outside capital.
Eberl, a powerful voice at the Allianz Arena, made it clear where he stands if Europe is forced to choose.
"Then I would indeed be in favor of us as Europe taking a firm stand and saying: No, we won't participate," he said.
No hedging. No softening. If FIFA crosses the line, Bayern’s sporting chief wants Europe to slam the door.
Sammer’s warning on “emotional credibility”
Not everyone in German football is as explosive as Eberl, but the concern runs deep.
Matthias Sammer, the former Ballon d’Or winner and now advisor at Borussia Dortmund, tried to frame the challenge facing Infantino. He accepted that the FIFA president is walking a tightrope in an era of global politics, commercial pressure and competing interests.
"Gianni Infantino first has to manage to please everyone. That's his job and FIFA's. It's always a fine line," Sammer said.
Yet even in that more measured assessment, the alarm bells rang. Sammer spoke of the "emotional credibility" of the sport being put at risk as FIFA chases ever greater financial returns.
For him, the core issue is simple: once the integrity of the game is touched, everything else collapses.
He warned of a "danger when the integrity of the game is interfered with" – a line that lands like a verdict from someone who has lived the sport from the inside for decades.
Money on the table, deadline on the clock
Infantino is not backing off. He has set a firm September deadline for member associations to sign off on the deal.
On paper, the offer glitters. Each federation stands to receive millions. For many smaller associations, that kind of money can transform facilities, youth structures and national teams.
But across Europe, the mood is wary. The fear is that short-term windfalls will come at the cost of long-term control and credibility. That the World Cup, football’s crown jewel, will be bent too far towards external investors and made to serve a balance sheet rather than the sport itself.
In Munich, the stance is clear. For Eberl and the Bayern hierarchy, no cheque is big enough to justify selling off pieces of football’s identity.
A fault line for the global game
All eyes now turn to UEFA. The upcoming meetings will not just be routine calendar business; they will be a test of European unity and nerve.
Do the federations accept FIFA’s terms and swallow their doubts? Or do they risk a historic confrontation, with talk of a World Cup boycott no longer just a bargaining chip but a real possibility?
The answer will shape not only the next tournament cycle, but who truly holds power in the world’s biggest sport.
