The only candidate for his re-election in March 2023, the Italian-Swiss President of the International Football Federation locked his kingdom with grants, marked the spirits, at the opening of the World Cup in Qatar, with an aggressive speech With regard to criticisms emanating from the West.
by Rémi Dupré
This speech, the communicators of Gianni Infantino prepared it with meticulousness, in the smallest detail. No doubt the Italian-Swiss President of the International Football Federation (FIFA) suspected that this speech delivered in Doha, the capital of Qatar, on November 19, on the eve of the 2022 World Cup , was going to shock the West and would enter the history of the round ball.
Between overplayed anaphora – “Today, I feel Qatari, I feel Arabic, (…) African, (…) gay, (…) Disabled, (…) Migrant worker” -, attack in rule of the ‘Europe and its “lessons” of morality, and its almost sacrificial defense of Qatar -“Crucify me, I am there for that” -, host country of the tournament in the grip of criticism, Mr. Infantino, 52, made jump all his contemptors.
“This speech demonstrates once again that Infantino is not the right person to lead FIFA”, sighs the lawyer Mark Pieth, ex-boss of the governance committee of the International Federation. “His statements are astounding, but unfortunately are not surprising on the part of a character who attacks the press and human rights defenders and for whom everyone is responsible for the current situation, except Qatar and FIFA”, Tackle Anne Brasseur, the former Luxembourgishness of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and author, in 2017, of an overwhelming report on infantino governance at FIFA.
Far from being carried away by his verve, Mr. Infantino knowingly sent a political message with the view of his re -election for a new mandate, in March 2023, during the planned election in Kigali, Rwanda. The only candidate in the running, promised to renew by acclamation, he prides himself on the historic income of FIFA expected for the 2018-2022 cycle (7.5 billion dollars, around 7 billion euros) and undertakes to redistribute it a substantial part of the 211 voting national federations.
The native of Brig (canton of Valais) already benefits from the support of all continental confederations with the exception of the wealthy union of European football associations (UEFA), including some members, such as Denmark or the ‘ Germany, announced that they would no longer support the outgoing leader, on the throne since 2016.
“commercial performance”
On the side of UEFA, we do not pay attention to the speech of Doha and “to the old strings” of Infantino in order to “isolate the rich and arrogant Europe” and to “ensure the support of the rest of the world “. “He tries to divide the world of football”, creaks the Norwegian Karen Espelund, ex-member of the UEFA Executive Committee.
You have 80.54% of this article to read. The continuation is reserved for subscribers.