Gianni Infantino Under Fire Once Again
Portuguese football legend Luis Figo has called on FIFA president Gianni Infantino to resign immediately, following the heated controversy sparked by his plan to sell 20% of the World Cup's commercial rights to private investors.
Presented by Infantino as a way to boost revenue for national associations, the initiative nevertheless faced strong opposition from three continental confederations, ultimately forcing the FIFA chief to withdraw his proposal.
Figo accuses Infantino of putting personal interests first
In an op-ed published by the Daily Mail, Luis Figo didn't hold back in his criticism of the FIFA president: âI could write ten thousand words about FIFA's problems, but the solution comes down to three: Gianni Infantino must go.â
The former Ballon d'Or winner went on to denounce what he sees as a blatant lack of integrity: âI've loved football all my life and played at the highest level for twenty years. Believe me, throughout my career I have come across people lacking in integrity. But I have never seen behavior so deceptive and so selfish.â
Figo also criticized the way Gianni Infantino tried to push the proposal through, accusing him of attempting to impose a major reform without consulting the national associations.
âSomeone who tries to force through changes of this magnitude solely for personal enrichment and to benefit those around him belongs to the worst excesses of our sport's past. Such a person should have no part in its future.â
Having run for FIFA presidency in 2015, Luis Figo concluded by saying that Infantino must step down without delay. According to Figo, the FIFA boss has damaged the institution's credibility, deceived football stakeholders, and put his own interests ahead of the global game's.