Gianni won’t erase FIFA scepticism

EXCUSE the dearth of street parties and absence of joyous weeping across Scotland in response to the election of Gianni Infantino as the new president of FIFA. Arguing that the Swiss lawyer — yes, another one of those straight-talking fellows — was the best of a bad bunch rather understates the awfulness of the short-list presented. Are we expected to celebrate because world football chose not to elect his closest rival, a Bahraini sheikh alleged to have been involved in the torture of footballers? There’s setting the bar low, and then there’s completely giving up on the concept of credibility. If it’s hardly Infantino’s fault that disgraced predecessor Sepp Blatter greeted his election by saying he has ‘all the qualities needed to continue my work’, the long-time UEFA insider with the tidy line in diplomatic doublespeak does little to inspire confidence of a bright new era. Surely his day one priority had to be ordering the complete publication of the surpressed ‘Garcia report’, an in-depth investigation into the bidding processes for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Russia and Qatar can bleat and moan about it if they like. If they really believe in the strength of their bids, they should be willing to put them to an open vote once again. Unless and until that happens, it is only right that scepticism is kept at Defcon Two. As for the SFA’s decision to support Infantino, well, they had to vote for somebody, right? Faced with that lot of chancers, they took the least bad option. Given their recent history, including gleefully embracing an ill-advised ‘friendship’ with their Qatari counterparts, such sound judgment was actually refreshing.