MEXICO CITY (AP) – It’s taken less than 80 days for Gianni Infantino’s claim to be leading FIFA into a new era to be publicly undermined.
Infantino was plunged into damage limitation mode on Saturday after a significant figure behind the clean-up of FIFA – independent compliance and audit chief Domenico Scala- quit with a stinging rebuke about the president’s conduct.
It left Friday’s bold declaration by Infantino that FIFA’s crisis had ended looking like his own premature “Mission Accomplished” moment.
It was little wonder Infantino looked so elated when he told delegates “I can officially inform you here, the crisis is over.” That claim came after the previous year’s FIFA Congress was rocked by the arrests of high-ranking executives.
Infantino had sprung two unexpected moves on the membership that gave the impression of shoring up his fledgling presidency.