Billie Jean King Urges FIFA To Place Women In Positions Of Power

FIFA's new president Gianni Infantino received specific marching orders from one of the most prominent athletes in the world. Giving a keynote address at FIFA's headquarters on Monday, Billie Jean King directed three specific recommendations at Infantino, and they did not concern the international soccer organization's history of corruption.

The iconic tennis player called for Infantino to go beyond making FIFA female-friendly. King called for Infantino to hire women in positions with the authority to make substantial decisions,declaring, "commercially... the sky's the limit."

Here are her three recommendations for integrating women into FIFA's upper leadership.

1. "A commitment from our president, Gianni Infantino, that one-third of all appointed leadership and management positions at FIFA be women beginning right now... Just get it done because it will make FIFA so much stronger. "

2. "The hiring of a secretary general that has a proven track record of supporting gender equality. A proven track record of supporting gender equality."

3. "Immediately creating a team to develop a serious commercial strategy focused on women's football as the primary area of growth for FIFA."

FIFA elected Infantino, 45, just more than a week ago to succeed the maligned Sepp Blatter with 115 votes. A lawyer from Brig, Switzerland, Infantino previously served as UEFA's secretary general.

"Not only are these reforms the right moral path but they make smart business sense," King said in her address. "The business of women's football has a tremendous upside and it's FIFA's obligation to invest in the assets needed."

First formed in 1904, FIFA did not have a female sit on its executive board until 2012 and, during Blatter's 17-year tenure, did not have any female in major management positions. FIFA has also had a sizeable monetary gap between the men's world cup and the women's. The teams participating in the 2015 Women's World Cup competed for $15 million whereas the 2014 men's tournament doled out $576 million in winnings.

King's address came a day before International Women's Day, and FIFA seems primed to make some changes accordingly. Shortly after Infantino's election, the organization passed a resolution to better promote the women's game.

"We have to embrace equality," Infantino said Monday. "Alone I cannot do anything, I will need all of you. It will not be easy. But if you fight for it, as I will do, I am sure we will achieve some quite important success."

Tags

Fifa, FIFA World Cup