Infantino: FIFA salary is to be less than $2M
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in an interview published yesterday that he will make less than 2 million Swiss francs a year, well below the salary of disgraced predecessor Sepp Blatter.
Infantino has not yet agreed terms with FIFA, but speaking to Switzerland’s Blick newspaper he said his salary “will be less than the 2 million francs [$2 million] people have speculated about”. Blatter made $3.6 million in 2015. Infantino described past dealings with FIFA’s compensation committee as “insulting” and “arbitrary”.
During the first two months of Infantino’s tenure, which began in February, the compensation committee included former FIFA audit and compliance chief Domenico Scala, who has emerged as a fierce critic of the new president.
Scala dramatically quit FIFA in May, accusing Infantino of trying to compromise the organisation’s independent committees and acting with an authoritarian streak.
Infantino said his pay could be finalised when the committee meets again, with Scala no longer in the picture.
Reflecting on earlier negotiations when Scala was involved, the FIFA chief said: “I expected to talk to these people about my salary based on guidelines, and not to face a fait accompli by Mr Scala without a discussion.”
A FIFA inquiry last month cleared Infantino over his use of private jets, personal expenses, hiring methods and the salary dispute.
In the interview, Infantino restated his claims that those opposed to cleaning up FIFA’s corrupt ways have sought to undermine his reform bids.