UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin on Tuesday attacked FIFA president Gianni Infantino, saying "football has no need for emperors", while powerful Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser al-Khelaifi insisted he has no interest in becoming the next head of global football.
"Yes, let's grow, let's innovate, let's make our clubs and competitions even more successful, but let's never forget that football is bigger than those who govern it. We are custodians, we are not owners. Nobody has the right to sell its future," Ceferin, the leader of European football's governing body, told the European Football Clubs (EFC) general assembly in Copenhagen.
UEFA, whose clubs and national teams dominate football's global economy, has been outspoken in its opposition to Infantino ever since it emerged in late July that FIFA was aiming to create a commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise to run its biggest events, such as the World Cup and Club World Cup.
It said it would consider boycotting FIFA-organised tournaments before suspending that threat after receiving written assurances in late August that world football's governing body would not try to revive the plans to sell stakes to private investors.
UEFA has also gone to a court in the US state of Florida in an attempt to access documents related to Infantino's failed plan with the aim of gathering evidence for a potential criminal complaint in Switzerland -- UEFA and FIFA are both based there.
The latter has responded to that by accusing the European body of a "misinformation campaign" and saying UEFA was attempting to "influence" the FIFA presidential election scheduled for next year.
Ceferin used his address to delegates of the powerful EFC organisation in the Danish capital to liken Infantino to the emperor in the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale "The Emperor's New Clothes".
"We all know the story. An emperor is persuaded that he is wearing magnificent clothes, clothes which he thought only the foolish or unfit could not see," Ceferin said.
"His court goes along with it until a child says aloud what everyone can see -- the emperor is naked.
"Perhaps the moral of this story is that convenient words cannot change uncomfortable realities."
"My friends, I think it is time to say 'enough'," he added, with Infantino not in attendance but FIFA general secretary Mattias Grafstrom in the room.
"Money can help the game grow, but it should never decide what we let go, never. Europe should make no apology for saying so."
Numerous leading European national associations have withdrawn their support for Infantino in his bid to be re-elected president of FIFA next year.
Khelaifi, who is close to Ceferin, has been mooted as a potential candidate to stand against Infantino in the election to be held at the FIFA Congress in the Moroccan capital Rabat in March.
The Qatari president of PSG has been chairman of EFC, formerly the European Club Association, since 2021. It is through that position that he sits on the UEFA Executive Committee.
The deadline for candidates to submit their nominations is November 18, but the 52-year-old Khelaifi dismissed suggestions he might stand.
"I have zero interest in FIFA, zero ambition to be there," he told reporters in his role with EFC, whose membership is made up of over 900 clubs across the continent.
"I don't think I am the right guy and I don't want to go actually. I am enjoying what I am doing and having fun. We want to continue building positive things together. FIFA is not for me."
Khelaifi earlier used a speech to lament that time was being wasted dealing with the crisis at the top of global football.
"Football works when we listen to each other, when we are transparent," he said. "Football is bigger and more important than any one of us."
He also backed Ceferin to stand again to be re-elected president of UEFA next year, saying "we need strong leadership like you to protect our sport".
Ceferin, from Slovenia, has been in his position since 2016 and has previously indicated that he would not seek re-election when his current term ends.
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