Gianni Infantino escapes investigation after Donald Trump interference | Football | Sport
A complaint lodged by a human rights organisation with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) against FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been dismissed, with an IOC spokesperson confirming the matter falls outside the remit of its Ethics Commission. FairSquare had filed the complaint, accusing Infantino of a ‘repeated breach of political neutrality rules.’
The group had previously submitted a similar case to FIFA’s Ethics Committee last year, alleging Infantino had openly voiced support for US President Donald Trump’s actions and policies on numerous occasions. That earlier complaint was reviewed and ultimately rejected, and the IOC has now taken the same position. “The IOC Ethics Commission thoroughly analysed the complaint by FairSquare,” the IOC spokesperson stated.
“The IOC Ethics Commission noted that the current complaint, including with regard to the FIFA President, refers only to the IF’s decisions on its governance and its management, including its relations with government, and to the IF’s implementation of the rules of its sport, which are both outside the scope of application of the IOC Code of Ethics.
“The complaint falls outside the IOC Ethics Commission’s jurisdiction. FairSquare has been informed accordingly.”
Infantino faced criticism during the World Cup after being photographed with Donald Trump, a moment FairSquare prominently featured in its complaint. Throughout the tournament, Trump was embroiled in several contentious incidents, lending additional credibility to the group’s objections.
During last Sunday’s final, jeers rang out around New York New Jersey Stadium as Trump and Infantino walked onto the pitch for the World Cup trophy presentation ceremony. The American president also intervened in the controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun’s red card, urging Infantino to step in, and demands for the FIFA chief’s resignation only intensified.
Balogun ought to have been automatically suspended for the match against Belgium following his dismissal in his prior fixture. Nevertheless, after Trump and Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House’s World Cup task force, contacted Infantino by telephone, the automatic one-match ban was deferred.
FIFA announced that the sanction had been suspended, allowing the co-hosts’ top scorer to feature – though FIFA have maintained that Infantino played no part in the suspension process.
Trump subsequently hailed the verdict on Truth Social, posting: “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right and reversing a great injustice.”
