#360view: Infantino must be his own man as head of FIFA

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  • Victor: Infantino.

    Meet the new boss, same as the old… Well, not quite, but the reaction to Gianni Infantino’s ascent to becoming FIFA president has more than a few echoes of the old guard.

    Infantino’s links to both Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini run deep and although the 45-year-old would have been advised to distance himself from both, it clearly didn’t harm his candidacy.

    Indeed, one German report claimed that Infantino met Blatter for drinks over Christmas with the Swiss passing on his own special brand of advice.

    Blatter’s proclamation after the result that Infantino, “has all the qualities to continue my work” also elicited plenty of groans of despair.

    Infantino was born in Brig, near the Italian-Swiss border, and somewhat spookily (or not) just nine kilometres from Blatter’s own hometown of Visp.

    Like Blatter at FIFA, he has risen impressively through the ranks at UEFA as a charismatic, company man, and although it’s come well ahead of deadline, no doubt he’s previously envisaged one day taking over as the most powerful man in football.

    But just being the same nationality and a rising star within sports governance, means Infantino and Blatter’s paths were bound to cross regularly and while it may be fun to scream, “old boy’s club”, it’s a little unfair.

    That said, his links to Platini are more deserving of scrutiny, as Infantino has been a close confidant and friend of the Frenchman for some time with Platini appointing him general secretary in 2007.

    As difficult as it will be, from a personal and professional standpoint, Infantino must be quick to cut ties show he’s very much his own man and move away from the image of being Platini’s puppet.

    What is also crucial is that he positions himself as being much more than just a man of UEFA. Europe’s remains football’s richest and most powerful region but Blatter’s biggest strength as president was how he diversified the game across the world.

    Infantino is acutely aware of this and his winning of support in Blatter heartlands such as South and Central America, shows he has genuine appeal beyond Europe.

    What could be a masterstoke would be to use two of the men he defeated on Friday in some kind of role.

    Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan may not have been able to repeat 2015 but the 23 votes which switched sides in the second round of voting helped Infantino get over the line. As an Asian candidate, and a man of similar age and mindset to Infantino, strategically it would be a smart move.

    So too Jerome Champagne, who despite lacking the political nous of the other candidates, is an enormously respected ideas man throughout the world, who has genuinely impressive ideas on how the game should be managed financially.

    But most of all, Infantino must concentrate on being everything what Blatter wasn’t. He has three years to help FIFA win back the respect lost under his predecessor. He must make FIFA open and accountable to all scrutiny – publishing the Garcia Report would be a good start – and be quick to investigate any alleged wrongdoing.

    He needs to be an administrator and an authoritarian figure, and earn support via the work he and FIFA do, not through being an ego-driven self-publicist who enjoys the limelight and his own soundbites a little too much.

    For the future of the sport, let’s hope he’s the former.

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