26th Feb 2016 17:20
ZURICH (Alliance News) - Gianni Infantino has had a tough life as UEFA general secretary before now being elected president of what he considers more glamorous FIFA.
The Swiss once humorously lamented that he was always accompanied to tournament draws by the dour Giorgio Marchetti while FIFA event draws were assisted by supermodels Heidi Klum and Giselle Bundchen.
Of course Infantino's real motives to seek the top job in world football were different, and only started when his mentor, UEFA president Michel Platini, could not run himself because of a suspension and subsequent ban from football over a "disloyal payment" he received from former FIFA boss Joseph Blatter.
Born in Brig, not far away from Blatter's home town of Visp, Infantino had to make up ground quickly on the other candidates, most notably Bahrain's Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.
A 500,000-euros campaign payment from UEFA helped, and so did the fact that he speaks six languages, as he travelled around the world from the Pacific islands in Oceania and the Caribbean to Robben Island in South Africa to Asia - without neglecting his European heritage and UEFA duties.
Infantino garnered substantial support as he hugged the spotlight more than any other candidate, and more than Blatter who preferred backroom dealings.
The 45-year-old also turned down an offer from Sheikh Salman to be named a powerful FIFA general secretary if Salman won, saying "this is not the time for deals."
Although not friends, he shares with Blatter certain topis such as big-money promises for the national federations and an expansion of the World Cup field from 32 to 40 teams - after he had been influential in raising the amount of European Championship teams from 16 to 24.
His expertise at UEFA, which also included boosting revenue, was also at the centre of his campaign.
"What does FIFA need? The money of FIFA is your money, not that of the FIFA president. It has to serve development of FIFA," he told delegates Friday during the speech he held in four languages.
"I know what I am talking about when I propose figures. UEFA revenue has tripled in difficult times. If FIFA generates 5 billion dollars revenue it is not normal that 1.2 million can't be distributed."
Infantino flirted with every confederation and after winning the vote pledged: "I want to be the president of all of you ... We will restore the image of FIFA ... We have to be proud of FIFA. We have to be proud altogether."
"FIFA has gone through hard times, crisis times. These times are over ... We have to win back the respect, and focus on this wonderful game that is football."
But former FIFA ethics adviser Mark Pieth said he didn't feel good about Infantino making similar promises to Blatter in the past as FIFA needs a full overhaul in the wake of corruption allegations and criminal probes.
A wide-ranging reform package has been approved and Infantino for his part insists: "I want to bring football back to FIFA and FIFA back to football."
Copyright dpa