As Sepp Blatter was washed away as the FIFA rulers, under pressure from the judiciary, many hoped after all the scandals on a fresh start at the top of the football world Association. But they got: Gianni Infantino. Now until 2023.
After his re-election by acclamation: FIFA chief Gianni Infantino
Who’s Gianni Infantino is? To this question you will get many answers, depending on whom you speak to. As for the Swiss the other day in Berlin and celebrated with Bayern winning the DFB-Cup and the Double, said club chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge: “I find it extraordinary that he is in tonight. Gianni, welcome. I think it’s great that You are partying with us tonight.”
The relationship between the most powerful man in world football, and the German is a special, more on that later. The answer to the question, who is this Giovanni Vincenzo Infantino, born on 23. March in Brig in Switzerland and father of four daughters, comes at first as a closer, when you read his portrait on the website of the world football Association. There, one learns that the man speaks seven languages, and in his previous feature “a leading role in the fight against social ills and threats to the integrity of football in Europe” have played.
The Sheik lost
A reference to the fact that the bald and rarely without a tie occurring Infantino prior to his election in the most powerful office in the world was football in February 2016, the Secretary-General of the European Association UEFA. The “Süddeutsche Zeitung” noted on the day of the current re-election Infantinos the fact that the corruption scandals in world football wore at that time only, FIFA President Joseph “Sepp” Blatter from office, but with and according to him, the younger officials Michel Platini (UEFA) and Wolfgang Niersbach (DFB). Infantino, at that time almost the only alternative? No, at the time, it gave with Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim from Bahrain, after all, still a candidate. However, the Sheikh lost.
Fatma Samoura, Secretary General of FIFA
So who is this Infantino? Platini and Niersbach could certainly tell some interesting stories if they would say publicly. As the smart Manager-guy from Switzerland came to office, he installed as Secretary-General with Fatma Samoura, a very experienced woman from Senegal, which was considered to be an important Signal for the African continent. The had but with football until then, nothing on the hat, and recognizable to the new man at the top hardly can be dangerous. Small guide of the power policy, basic rules.
Kattner went
And also The acknowledgement in the Interregnum of the scandal operations in the year 2015 out of the shadows revealed by FIFA Finance Director Markus Kattner, in Bayreuth born, had to be in the organization soon his service. From (to) high bonus payments for the financial man, the speech was, but also of a strained relationship between the interim chief Kattner and Infantino.
And, at the latest, so you would be back at the relationship between the German and Infantino. Maybe it was bad luck that the Federal government had with the German football, meanwhile, is no better idea than to make Reinhard Grindel to the President and to representatives in the international bodies of football. Grindels fate was sealed with the adoption of a swanky watch: The unpopular President had to on 2. April to resign after criticism of his leadership had become unmistakable, and he admitted that he “got confirmed by my little exemplary Actions in connection with the assumption of a at prejudice against a principal or a volunteer Working in football”. Since this debacle in the DFB-tip to the German sitting in spite of the importance of the football League international rather in the second row.
Be In An Offside Position. A Trap
That Infantino is the last to come with his ideas for new or advanced tournament formats such as the reformed club world Cup in the criticism, is a different matter. With a dubious Investment offer of about $ 25 billion of non-identified money, could not enforce the Swiss last donors for marketing rights. He is also the consolidation of the FIFA Finance credited as a success. Sylvia Schenk of Transparency International, said in a DW Interview, Infantino’ve made mistakes, his organization but also to take forward. On the way, Infantino met discreetly with the Swiss Federal Prosecutor and chief of detectives Michael Lauber, which is led by the opponents of the FIFA-heads again and again into the field. But without disadvantages for the official.
That he has found with the current UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin is a serious opponent, has changed to the re-election Infantinos nothing. Not even by secret ballot, the Swiss was confirmed at the world Congress in Paris up to the year 2023. An acclamation was enough in the end. A candidate no longer existed anyway. Infantino, really almost the only alternative.
Reinhard Rauball (l.) speaks for the DFB, since President Reinhard Grindel (r.) had to cede
And the DFB? Has agreed in the Paris exhibition centre at Porte de Versailles. Hardly any vocal criticism of Infantino. The League chief and the DFB-interim President Reinhard Rauball, his task was to explain this position: “We are not going to provide the DFB further to the Offside than he already is.” Offside – there is talk in the sports reporter-English also often a trap. Infantino said after his re-election: “Today is a happy day, today is a holiday.” He thanked me for safety’s sake at all, ” the love me and hate me – I love all of today.”