Infantino says salary less than US$2mil

GENEVA: FIFA president Gianni Infantino (pic) said in an interview that he will make less than US$2mil (RM8mil) a year, well below the salary of his disgraced predecessor, Sepp Blatter.

Infantino has not yet agreed to terms with FIFA but speaking to Switzerland’s Blick newspaper, he said his salary “will be less than the US$2mil people have speculated about.”

Blatter, who was mired in scandal before being banned from FIFA, made US$3.6mil (RM14.5mil) in 2015.

Infantino described past dealings with FIFA’s compensation committee as “insulting” and “completely 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 compensation 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 defined processes and not to face a fait accompli by Mr Scala without a discussion.”

A FIFA inquiry last month cleared Infantino after investigating him over his use of private jets, personal expenses, hiring methods and the salary dispute.

In the interview on Sunday Infantino restated his claims that those opposed to cleaning up FIFA’s corrupt ways have sought to undermine his reforms bids.

Infantino took over world football’s governing body following months of unprecedented crisis, with major corporate backers like Visa and Coca Cola demanding a thorough crackdown on graft. — AFP