Infantino purges FIFA reformers
FIFA president Gianni Infantino stage-managed another controversial coup yesterday by removing the leaders of the organisation’s investigatory and judicial ethics chambers.
Cornel Borbely and Hans-Joachim Eckert were ousted at a FIFA council meeting in Bahrain ahead of tomorrow’s congress. Little-known Colombian lawyer Maria Claudia Rojas will take over the investigative position and former European Court of Justice president Vassilios Skouris from Greece will run ethics, subject to approval from congress.
Infantino has been under investigation for his use of private jets and for allegedly interfering with African football elections. A spokesman for Eckert and Borbely said: ‘The clearly politically motivated non-reappointment puts de facto an end to the reform efforts. It will further hurt the already tarnished image of FIFA.’
FIFA council insiders say the proposed new appointees had excellent c.v.s, and Borbely and Eckert had reached the end of their terms.
The purge is similar to the way Infantino had his enemy Domenica Scala axed as chairman of the audit and compliance committee just before the 2016 congress in Mexico City.
THE FIFA council delayed recommending that the USA stage the 2026 World Cup with Canada and Mexico for another three months to allow other bids to come forward. But when the proposal inevitably receives the green light, it will not kick-start any England campaigns to host tournaments. There had been speculation about the FA bidding for the 2028 European Championship or 2030 World Cup. But after their humiliating failure in the still murky 2018 campaign, England are waiting to see how the new regimes at UEFA and FIFA bed down.
GIAnnI InFAnTIno’S vanity ‘legends’ programme means ex-stars are flown to the FIFA congress to perform in a meaningless game that allows him to claim that football is at the heart of his presidency. Even FIFA’s women’s World Footballer of the Year Carli Lloyd (above) is in Bahrain this week alongside Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho and Michel Salgado despite her loan club, Manchester City, having a competitive match at Bristol City last night. A City spokeswoman said the game date had been re-arranged after Lloyd had agreed to play in Bahrain.
THERE’S not much sign of cost-cutting in Bahrain after the extravagance of the corrupt Blatter era. The FIFA council are staying in the luxury Ritz Carlton hotel in Manama while the rest of the administration have to make do with the Radisson Blu. And FIFA still fly delegates and their partners to the congress business class. So credit Northern Ireland chief executive Patrick Nelson for being the only one of the home nations party travelling in economy.