For many, FIFA President Gianni Infantino is the incarnation of evil in world football. The shortening of the World Cup rhythm is only his latest attempt to secure power and influence. Before that, other projects had crashed.
In recent years, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has proven to be extremely creative when it comes to new club and tournament formats. The fact that they have all failed so far does not bother the bustling Swiss, who likes to act as the lord seal keeper of world football.
The latest idea from Fifa and its president: The soccer world championship, the most important source of income for the association, is to take place every two years in the future – alternating with the continental championships. So there should be big tournaments every summer and the income would gush. There would be more sponsorship money, more media rights and more tickets to sell, in short: more football, money and fun for everyone. That’s the simple message behind the idea.
Gianni Infantino threatens another defeat
From Fifa’s point of view, there is only one problem: the proposal is not well received. Support comes from Caf and AFC, the continental associations of Africa and Asia, and ex-footballers such as Ronaldo and Lothar Matthäus have supported the idea, but especially the powerful continental associations of Europe (Uefa) and South America (Conmebol) are strictly against it. And with her numerous trainers, officials and the fan associations. Most recently, the largest national association in the world, the DFB, announced that it is against the two-year cycle because of the “massive effects”. Basically, there is only agreement that the international fixtures and qualification formats need to be revised. That the World Cup cycle will be shortened seems unlikely at the moment.
So it could set the next defeat for Infantino. The Swiss had already boastfully announced a revolution that even failed because of indignation in Fifa itself. Three years ago he presented the plan to increase the Club World Cup to 24 teams and to introduce a league of nations. For this he had won ominous donors who wanted to make $ 25 billion for the rights. Infantino did not want to reveal who was behind it. Today we know that it was probably a consortium led by Saudi Arabia. Even more brazen than the announcement was a personality: Gianni Infantino was to become president of the company to be founded.
Infantino wanted to establish a “new era”
So much chutzpah went too far even for FIFA officials. The DFB found the advertisement for the deal “dubious”. The Swiss compliance expert Mark Pieth spoke of a “raid”. The end of the story: The plans were put in a drawer for the time being. It may be that Infantino will pull them up again at the right time. After all, the idea of the shortened World Cup rhythm is not new either. It dates back to 1999, when Sepp Blatter’s predecessor had just taken office.
When Infantino was elected FIFA President in February 2016, there were only a few who raised their fingers to warn them. If you read in press reviews from the day after the election, most of the media around the world welcomed the Swiss election. The times under his predecessor Sepp Blatter were too gloomy and corrupt. After 17 years of reign he was chased out of office by his own ethics committee for breach of trust and bribery. “I want a new era,” promised Infantino in his acceptance speech at the time. Many believed him.
It’s about the money
Nothing has improved. On the contrary: Infantino’s term of office is a seamless continuation of the scandalous history of the world association. The 51-year-old lawyer was chosen because he promised the small associations more money and influence. His proposals for a league of nations or a shortening of the World Cup rhythm are to be understood in this sense. It’s about the money, and it’s about stealing a large piece of the pie from the mighty Uefa.
The Swiss man’s instinct for power helps him with his plans. As soon as he was in office he shaved the ethics committee that had chased his predecessor Sepp Blatter out of office. Infantino replaced the two renowned chairmen of the two chambers (investigation and jurisdiction), who were too committed to him, with vassals loyal to him. He had parts of the statutes changed and deprived the commission of its most rigorous instruments (no automatic suspension in the event of a preliminary investigation and inquiries only on the instructions of the chamber chairman). So he survived a procedure himself because of a private extra flight, which he had billed to him. The fact that proceedings against him are still pending at the Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office (it is about a secret meeting between Infantino and the former head of the Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office) is currently also irrelevant.
In return, he kept part of his promises to the small associations: The World Cup will be expanded to 48 participants from 2026 (Canada, USA and Mexico). Small soccer nations are more likely to have the opportunity to take part in a World Cup. The sporting quality is watered down, but that doesn’t count in the Empire of Infantino.
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I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
