You liked the most famous punch line by Gianni Infantino, “Today I feel Qatari, Arab, African, homosexual, disabled, migrant worker”, just before the launch of the World Cup in Qatar? His introductory video of the 73rd FIFA Congress, this Thursday in Kigali (Rwanda), is for you, with this daring fall: “Fifa, like football, unites the world”. On the website of the International Federation of Association Football, a count has been added for a few days, as if to give the dimension of an absolute event to this congress, marked by the election of the president of Fifa for the 2023-2027 term.
Huge drum roll in Kigali since the Italian-Swiss leader has, as in 2019 in Paris, not the slightest candidate facing him. Precedents for such a dream democracy at the head of Fifa are obviously not lacking in history, since the Brazilian Joao Havelange (from 1974 to 1998), then the Swiss Sepp Blatter (from 1998 to 2015) have regularly passed “by acclamation”, in the face of frustrated opposition. From his induction speech, in February 2016 in Zürich, this little-known jurist elected at the age of 45, affirmed loud and clear his personality and his determination to dive into the light: “I did not intend to apply but the Fifa’s image is tarnished. You need a strong leader, that’s what I’m here for”.
“Not even a stooge of Michel Platini”
What about exactly seven years later with Gianni theexpandable ? Has the “non-profit” association (not sure that two quotes are enough) really gained in “transparency” as he promised elsewhere? “Sepp Blatter had become so sulphurous with all his corruption cases that Gianni Infantino was able to surf on an image of a new and virgin man for the instance, poses in the preamble Rémi Dupré, journalist at the World following closely for fifteen years the affairs related to Fifa. He cleverly took advantage of the fall of Blatter and that of Michel Platini. »
Because until this 2016 election, replacing a Blatter suspended by the Fifa ethics commission, Gianni Infantino is a real no name in the eyes of the world, despite his position as UEFA General Secretary since 2009. Swiss journalist Patrick Oberli, deputy editor of the Sport Center news agency, confirms this.
Nobody knew this candidate. He wasn’t even a stooge of Michel Platini. He was simply the bald guy who shot the balls in the Champions League. It’s really the story of a football official who came to the top of FIFA to everyone’s surprise. He was not destined for this life but he very quickly got into the costume. »
“Unless there are court cases that break out…”
And this with proven methods to reign over the long term, following in the footsteps of the Blatter system. “We see the same clientelist drift with Gianni Infantino, slice Rémi Dupré. Fifa is a cash machine and its Forward development program to finance structural projects allows it to secure the support of the confederations it needs, starting with CAF. Once you’re in place and hold the purse strings, re-election for the full three terms is guaranteed, barring court cases that erupt like Blatter. »
In this case, Gianni Infantino quietly obtained confirmation, via the statutes of the body, that he would begin this Thursday … his second term, and not his third, since his 2016-2019 lease was incomplete. Unless the criminal proceedings launched against him in Switzerland in 2020 for “incitement to abuse of authority, violation of official secrecy and obstruction of criminal proceedings” – in connection with Fifagate and his secret meetings with the former Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber – come to fruition, or that another case emerges, we will therefore be entitled to the punch lines of the bald divine until 2031.
Received at the Elysée by Emmanuel Macron
“He is very political, he relies on his close guard and he knows very well that with this system where each country is worth one vote, without any proportionality, the leaders are indebted to him outside of Europe, deciphers Patrick Oberli. Because it does not have the same scope to provide a grant of 1 million euros to the French Football Federation or that of a Pacific island. The equation is simple for him: earn more money to keep power. And on the financial side, Gianni Infantino can rest easy. Fifa was recently able to boast of having reached a record turnover of 7 billion euros between 2019 and 2022. The Covid-19 crisis? Fifa has vaguely heard of it. And the future looks even brighter since it is aiming for more than 10 billion euros for the period 2023-2026.
On a personal level, our 52-year-old Italian-Swiss is not left out, since he has just benefited from a bonus of 1.66 million euros, according to the annual report of Fifa unveiled by The world. An amount almost twice as high as that which followed the Russian World Cup in 2018. Enough to seriously inflate his tidy total annual remuneration (before taxes) of 3.62 million euros. Definitely not bad for a “non-profit association”. Much more “visitable” than his predecessor, Gianni Infantino was received a month ago at the Elysée Palace by Emmanuel Macron, in order to discuss “the future of football”.
Controversies in shambles for a year
A status undoubtedly beyond the ambitions that inhabited “the bald draw” eight years ago. The more mandates pass, the more he seems to dare everything, in a “freewheeling” mode which has earned him his share of detractors on the football planet. Here is a small anthology of the Gianni show, just over the last year:
- The flagship project of his mandate was to try to push through a World Cup every two years, even if it means justifying it in a surreal way in 2022: “We must give Africans the hope that they will not have to cross the Mediterranean to perhaps have a better life here. We must give them opportunities and dignity”.
- “Infantino found that this World Cup every two years was politically too divisive”, specifies Rémi Dupré of the World. Never mind, he will console himself from the 2026 World Cup with a formula with 48 qualified (against 32 until then), and the 16th finals at the key (youhou).
- In the middle of the World Cup in Qatar, the boss of world football announced a Club World Cup going up in 2025 (and every four years), from 7 teams… to 32!
- He bombarded Brazilian model Adriana Lima as the “fan ambassador” for the upcoming Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. An appointment described as “aberrant” by Moya Dodd, a former member of the executive council of Fifa and player of the Australian national team.
- He allowed himself a selfie next to King Pelé’s coffin without batting an eyelid.
- He offered his dear support Noël Le Graët a tailor-made position as director of the Paris office of Fifa. And yes, an immediate flower to an 81-year-old leader forced to resign from the FFF after an overwhelming audit.
Norway leads the sling
Faced with so many fiascos/controversies, the resistance was organized in particular last month, at the initiative of Norway, around ten presidents of European federations (Germany, England, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal , Sweden, Switzerland and therefore Norway) to demand an “at least symbolic” gesture from Fifa regarding the compensation of migrant workers in Qatar. The Norwegian Football Federation has also put this request on the agenda of the 73rd FIFA Congress in Kigali.
Norwegian journalist special correspondent this week in Rwanda, Andreas Selliaas details: “The president of the federation Lise Klaveness wants to speak on two subjects this Thursday: to insist on the establishment of this compensation fund in Qatar and to push Fifa to follow its own rules regarding its human rights policy. But the Norwegian Federation, which will not vote in favor of Infantino’s candidacy, fears that these subjects will only be raised during a future committee. Because yes, you shouldn’t try to spoil the party, Scandinavian friends. But as there will be no count of abstention or symbolic disapproval, for lack of a real election this Thursday, Norway and the other federations reported by the management of Fifa should not make waves.
Revenge of Michel Platini?
What balance of power could really settle, within the 211 member federations of Fifa, to overthrow the world body of football by 2031? “UEFA did not have the will to present a candidate for this election because it is like in a cold war situation with Fifa, explains Rémi Dupré. As long as Fifa does not soap the board of UEFA and Aleksander Ceferin on a strong subject like the Super League, the two bodies will not openly attack each other. “The behind-the-scenes maneuvers of Gianni Infantino, officially against this Super League but in fact in full double play, are therefore closely scrutinized. After all, in line with his “bulimic” vision of football, the Super League would make sense.
“The only person who could destabilize Gianni Infantino is Michel Platini, evokes Patrick Oberli. He no longer aspires to any function but he keeps his honor, so you never know. “After filing a complaint last year against his former right-hand man for “active influence peddling”, the former UEFA president has indeed reason to wish for his downfall, although he seems to have filed his desires revenge in the closet. In the meantime, it’s all smiles that Gianni Infantino will tumble this Thursday morning on the Kigali stage, for a one man show that promises to be delicious. “You have to understand that he is a king in Africa, a real head of state who is not criticized like in Europe, summarizes Patrick Oberli. Even his “African speech” in Qatar was well received there. Don’t miss the standing ovation on the FIFA website.