Several Lithuanian MPs representing the ruling coalition have presented a bill aimed at introducing temporary direct management of the Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF).
Mykolas Majauskas, chairman of the parliamentary Committee on Budget and Finance, says the bill would ensure that "the federation's new democratic elections would be organised without representatives of the criminal world".
"We want transparent and democratic governance of the Lithuanian Football Federation," the MP told reporters.
Vice Minister of Education, Science and Sport Linas Obcarskas says such a decision could be useful in solving the existing problems in the federation's management and in updating the operational model.
"The state does not seek to manage federations and cannot interfere in the activities of sports federations. Such a law could perhaps urgently solve an old painful problem, dispel doubts about the functioning of this federation and lay the foundations for the federation's further, renewed activities," he told BNS.
However, the vice minister said, "it's necessary to consider the potential negative consequences of such a decision", including the suspension of the national teams and the risk of not receiving funds from international federations.
Therefore, the ministry proposes that FIFA and UEFA should be involved in the process.
Temporary administrator
Under the bill, a temporary administrator would be put in charge of the functions of the LFFs governing bodies.
The administrator would be appointed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, and it would carry out a financial and operational audit of the federation and, within three months of the law's entry into force, draw up and approve the LFF's draft interim statutes.
Under the bill, the Seimas should update the federation’s statutes, making each LFF member have an equal number of votes during conferences. The bill also proposes making national football clubs members of the federation. Currently they are represented through regional associations.
In addition, the LFF conference would get the powers of electing the federation's president, vice presidents and the Executive Committee. The latter currently consists of persons delegated by the LFF members themselves.
Also, persons who have been convicted of a criminal offence could not be members of the LFF governing bodies, the bill says.
The politicians initiating the changes argue that these fundamental principles of football governance are enshrined in the model FIFA Statutes.
International involvement is needed to make changes “without factionalism or the fear of infighting and persecution", MP Arunas Valinskas said. "Nobody from the government side wants to manage football. The point is to empower the football community to self-govern itself."
Virgilijus Alekna, chairman of the Seimas Commission for Youth and Sports Affairs, says the state is ready to provide more funding for football. However, he said now it's not the right time due to the current LFF situation.
"I think that changes are definitely needed," he said.
Focus on FIFA statutes
Majauskas says the bill on the LFF's direct management will probably be registered on Tuesday. Before that, the document will be translated into English and sent to FIFA and UEFA.
"We believe that both FIFA and UEFA are not getting the full information from the Lithuanian Football Federation, so we expect a high-level direct meeting, perhaps at the prime ministerial level, with FIFA and UEFA executives," Majauskas said.
Earlier this year, the LFF turned to UEFA and FIFA, who then said that the Lithuanian football federation’s statutes were in line with international requirements.
In Lithuania, LFF has been criticised for poor sports results and some of its officials having links to organised crime.
Lithuania currently ranks 142nd in the FIFA world rankings.
President's scepticism
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said the situation will not change with the adoption of a "football rescue" law, adding that Lithuania could be at risk of being excluded from international competitions.
"If our football was run by people who really know football well, it would probably be more beneficial. But to be honest, I don't think that if we go down this road and adopt laws to save football [we will achieve results]," the president told reporters in Klaipėda on Monday.
The poor football situation in Lithuania "precedes the national team" and has to do with the entire training system, Nausėda pointed out, adding that one law would not solve its problems.
"This might lead, and we have many examples of this, to a situation where we will be kicked out of international competitions by international organisations. Then, we would live without football, as is the case in Russia now," the president said.
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