Gianni Infantino and FIFA have gone 1 step too far – football world must act | World | News
From gifting Donald Trump the farcical FIFA Peace Prize to overturning Folarin Balogun’s red card during the recent World Cup, you would have thought Gianni Infantino’s tenure at the helm of the world football federation could not stoop any lower. You’d have been mistaken.
The FIFA President recently revealed gluttonous plans to sell off part of the World Cup and other premier football competitions. His proposal has sparked intense backlash from other governing bodies and fans across the world, with UEFA, comprised of 55 members in Europe, set to hold an emergency meeting to voice its opposition to the plans. It’s even been reported that some nations are considering boycotting the next tournament if Infantino’s plans come into fruition. While the intricacies of their response remain unclear, what is clear is that the whole football world is looking to them to stop Infantino.
FIFA has never been the face of transparency and legitimacy, with former boss Sepp Blatter accused of financial mismanagement, widespread institutional corruption and vote-buying during his 17 years in charge. However, the organisation, which operates under the ironic slogan “Football Unites the World”, has now hit new lows under Infantino with the future of our beautiful game at risk.
While he bills the move as the democratisation of football, it doesn’t take much lateral thinking to know what Infantino is up to. He views himself as a world leader on equal footing with presidents and prime ministers, and hopes to consolidate his power for the long-term future by making investors incredibly wealthy.
The recent World Cup, held across the US, Canada and Mexico, certainly didn’t disappoint on the pitch but it was tainted by off-field controversy from start to finish. It’s now obvious to see the unprecedented political interference, extortionate ticket pricing, laughable water breaks, and expanded tournament format were all a sign of things to come.
Football, like all sport, is about the stories written on the pitch rather than the size of the bank accounts of those off it. But it’s clear to see that Infantino could not care less about the custodians of the game; those that train all their lives to reach the top or those that spend their hard earned cash to watch their team on the other side of the world.
Rather than being a World Cup which celebrated the remarkable stories of Cape Verde reaching the round of 32 and Spain’s Rodri being named player of the tournament after 12 months plagued by injury, it quickly became a symbol of greed and commercialisation. This was highlighted by soaring ticket prices and aggressive revenue-driving strategies – epitomised by the, in the words of Wayne Rooney, “cr**” half-time show during the final.
Infantino even had the cheek to post an extraordinary 15-slide, 900-word statement on Instagram in the wake of the tournament. Reminiscent of a paranoid dictator, he slammed media and critics, accusing them of spreading “hate and false rumours”, in a bid to protect his power.
Even by his standards, the recently announced plans to sell off a stake in the World Cup are one step too far. As well as handing FIFA an influx of cash, the move would solidify Infantino’s relationship with Donald Trump.
The federation is dealing with investment firm Thrive Capital – which is led by Josh Kushner, the brother-in-law of Trump’s daughter Ivanka – as part of the plans. The whole thing stinks and something needs to be done before it’s too late.
