Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has made a forceful statement about the sheer nonsense that has engulfed FIFA in recent months. He is now demanding that the English and European football associations (The FA and UEFA) walk away from the game’s global governing body.
ALSO READ: UK minister calls for FIFA investigation into Argentina Falklands banner after semi final
Who is Gianni Infantino?
For years, former President Sepp Blatter was seen as an obviously corrupt figurehead of the organisation. His tenure ended in disgrace, after he was caught up in a long-running bribery scandal. Gianni Infantino was voted in as his replacement, promising a ‘new era’ of accountability.
It didn’t last. Infantino has gradually worn down his credit and pre-vote popularity. His bizarre remarks over the years have brought his leadership into question – not least when he addressed human rights violations in Qatar by stating that ‘today, I feel gay’. Offside flag indeed.
Ed Davey says FIFA president has ‘destroyed football’s integrity’
Over the last 12 months, his relationship with Donald Trump has accelerated concerns. Infantino was in and out of the Oval Office for photo opportunities and the promotion of the 2026 World Cup. He also created a ‘FIFA Peace Prize’ for the president – weeks before he bombed Venezuela and Iran.
However, it’s not just his passive endorsement of Trump that has created an ill-feeling. FIFA have been wildly inconsistent in applying their own laws, choosing to reverse suspensions for the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Flo Balogun – the US star striker who Trump asked FIFA to lift a one-match ban for.
There’s also the absolute state of things like hydration breaks, and half-time shows for the World Cup final. To paraphrase an idiom from another sport – it’s just not football. Ed Davey isn’t the only who has had enough – but he does have a platform, and he’s using it to give FIFA the red card…
“This World Cup has laid bare how utterly broken it all is. From Donald Trump asking Gianni Infantino to get a US red card overturned, to FIFA’s sluggish reaction to the highly provocative Argentina/Falklands flag stunt, the FIFA President has crossed red line after red line.”
“He has allowed politics and corporate greed to destroy the integrity of the game. When will we finally blow the whistle? The FA, UEFA, and European Governing Bodies must walk away. Let’s work with other confederations to build a clean, transparent governing body.” | Ed Davey