“I will run for re-election” next year, announced Thursday, March 31, the president of the International Football Federation (FIFA), Gianni Infantino before the body’s congress meeting in Doha, on the eve of the draw for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. .
Without a major opponent declared for the time being, Mr. Infantino will thus apply for a third and final four-year term during the elective congress scheduled for early 2023.
The Italian-Swiss (52), a lawyer by training, took the reins of the governing body of world football in 2016 when the latter was in the midst of a global corruption scandal.
In June 2018, shortly before the start of the World Cup in Russia, he assured in an interview with World than “The facts clearly show that FIFA today is a totally different organization compared to the past”.
Subject to criminal proceedings since 2020
Re-elected as the only candidate in 2019, Mr. Infantino has been subject to criminal proceedings in Switzerland since July 2020. He is being prosecuted for “incitement to abuse of authority”, “incitement to breach of official secrecy” and “incitement to obstruct criminal proceedings”.
In question: meetings kept secret (without minutes), in March and April 2016 then in June 2017, with the former Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber, who, at the time, was in charge of investigations into FIFA , including criminal proceedings opened against X, in 2015, for “suspicion of unfair management and money laundering” in connection with the controversial awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
“FIFA has never offered a biennial World Cup”
At the rostrum of the FIFA Congress, Mr. Infantino also assured that the project of playing the World Cup every two years, and not every four years, was never proposed. “Let me be very clear: FIFA has never offered a biennial World Cuphe said. The last FIFA Congress [en 2021] instructed by a vote the administration of FIFA to study the feasibility of a World Cup every two years. FIFA didn’t offer anything at all. She came to the conclusion that it was doable and that it would have repercussions, an impact”.
This statement marks a relative setback after the tensions caused by this project. The organization, which promised more revenue “solidarity” to each of its federations if the reform succeeded, had certainly received the support of the African and Asian federations. But UEFA, the governing body of European football, as well as the South American Conmebol opposed it.
” The next phase is consultation, discussion, finding an agreement and compromisesargued Mr. Infantino. We must debate to find what is the most suitable for all. The big ones have to get bigger, and the little ones have to benefit from it too. So thank you all for your contributions”.
