New FIFA head Infantino starts work with friendly kickabout

ZURICH - Gianni Infantino began his new job as the boss of soccer's governing body FIFA with a friendly football match on Monday, leaving matters such as his own salary for another day.

"I know you can't believe it, but it's not (for the) money that I was candidate to become FIFA president," he told reporters after a match with employees and guests.

The Swiss said he expected the bidding process for the 2026 World Cup, delayed by the wide-reaching corruption scandal that engulfed the organisation last year, to begin before FIFA holds its next congress in Mexico City in May.


The 2018 and 2022 tournaments to be staged in Russia and Qatar must be the "best in history", he said.

Monday's kickabout, played in freezing mist at FIFA headquarters, featured two seven-a-side matches involving employees and former professionals.

"Team Infantino" included former Portugal forward Luis Figo and former Italy defender Fabio Cannavaro.

Infantino, 45, wearing a No. 9 shirt, ran around enthusiastically, but barely touched the ball.

"The hard work starts now, but I wanted to organise a football match with those who make the game what it is," Infantino said.

He said he had not discussed his salary following his election on Friday. The pay of his predecessor Sepp Blatter, suspended from soccer for six years, has never been made public.

The reforms voted in by FIFA last week to help it put the corruption scandal behind it included one on salaries being open to scrutiny.

Infantino appeared keen to get the ball rolling to pick a host for the 2026 World Cup. The process was supposed to have begun last year with a decision due in Kuala Lumpur next year.

"Definitely I think we need to launch the bidding process in the next couple of months, probably before the next Congress in May," Infantino said.

Under FIFA statutes that prevent the same continent from hosting the tournament twice in a row, it will not be staged in Asia.

"Concerning Qatar and Russia, the decisions were taken in 2010 by the executive committee, but since 2010 there has been speculation and allegations and noise.

"It's now necessary to organise the best World Cup in history in Russia in 2018 and in 2022 in Qatar," he said.

FIFA has been forced to investigate the decisions on the two tournaments, and an investigation is also under way by the Swiss attorney general's office.

The reforms passed on Friday include a separation of powers at FIFA, with a new Council due to replace the old executive committee and decide solely on strategic matters.

A separate general secretariat will run day-to-day operations and, crucially, make commercial decisions.

Infantino rejected the suggestion that he would enjoy less power than his predecessor, however.

"I wouldn't say I have limited powers," he said. "I was elected on Friday to be the leader of FIFA. The leader is setting the tone, the leader will have to do some convincing work of course. It's not a dictatorship - it's a democracy, it's a participation."

(Editing by Ralph Boulton and Hugh Lawson)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

FIFA chief Blatter faces criminal probe, cloud over Platini

Embattled Sepp Blatter was urged to stand down as FIFA president on Saturday after he was placed under a criminal investigation as his heir-apparent Michel Platini also came under scrutiny over a murky multi-million-dollar payment.

In a dramatic escalation of the corruption scandal engulfing world football Swiss investigators accompanied by Swiss police swept into FIFA's headquarters on Friday as their attention turned to Blatter and Platini.

"Swiss criminal proceedings against the President of FIFA, Mr. Joseph Blatter, have been opened on September 24, 2015 on suspicion of criminal mismanagement...and - alternatively - misappropriation," said a statement from Switzerland's attorney general's office (OAG).

 This stunning development came after months of probes following raids in Zurich which led to the indictment of more than a dozen top officials.

Swiss prosecutors said Blatter was being investigated over the 2005 sale of World Cup television rights to the Caribbean Football Union, then run by his former ally Jack Warner, a deal which had been "unfavourable for FIFA".

Blatter was also suspected of a "disloyal payment" of two million dollars to Platini in February 2011 allegedly made for work the Frenchman carried out for FIFA between 1999 and 2002, before he was elected head of UEFA.

Saturday's headlines in the Swiss press made uncomfortable reading for the beleaguered Blatter.

"Blatter should go as quickly as possible" was the blunt advice given to the 79-year-old football strongman by Neue Zurcher Zeitung.

"It is imperative that he now at least quickly abandons ship," the daily suggested in an editorial.

Blick's front page headline was bleaker: "Blatter risks jail....Twilight years behind bars?"

 - Platini blow -

Swiss authorities said Blatter was questioned as "a suspect", while Platini had been quizzed "as a person called upon to give information".

Blatter's lawyer Richard Cullen stressed that the FIFA boss was cooperating with Swiss authorities and that a review of the evidence would show "no mismanagement occurred".

Platini defended the payment he received in 2011, made three months before the Frenchman announced he would not challenge Blatter for re-election during that year's race for the FIFA presidency.

"Concerning the payment that was made to me, I wish to state that this amount relates to work which I carried out under a contract with FIFA," said the UEFA boss.

"I was pleased to have been able to clarify all matters relating to this with the authorities."

But he offered no explanation as to why the payment had arrived almost a decade after the work had been completed.

However, a former FIFA insider, who requested anonymity, told AFP that Platini's hopes of being elected to replace Blatter next year had been damaged by Friday's revelations.

"Platini took a serious blow" by even being mentioned in the Swiss statement, the source told AFP.

Blatter "is finished now ... Platini will struggle to recover from being questioned".

Friday's turn of events came after a press conference that Blatter was scheduled to give was suddenly cancelled.

Platini is a former Blatter ally who turned against the veteran Swiss sports baron over the past 18 months as FIFA's troubles mounted.

The investigation is also into Blatter's links with Warner, a former FIFA vice-president now at the centre of a US investigation.

 - 'Unfavourable to FIFA' -

The attorney general said Blatter was suspected of making a deal "unfavourable to FIFA" with the Caribbean Football Union, which Warner used as his power base.

A Trinidad court on Friday announced it would rule on December 2 on whether Warner should be extradited to the United States.

Warner is one of 14 soccer officials and business executives charged by US prosecutors of involvement in more than $150 million in bribes for football broadcasting and marketing deals.

Nearly all of the suspects are from central and South America. Until recent days, FIFA's top leadership had escaped accusations flying around the world body, which earns $5 billion from the World Cup.

Swiss officials arrested seven FIFA officials, who are among the US suspects, on May 27 in Zurich just ahead of the world body's congress.

Blatter was re-elected to a fifth term at the congress despite the storm but then announced on June 4 that he would stand down.

Since then, FIFA has announced steps to make reforms but has been shaken by new corruption claims.

FIFA this month suspended Blatter's right-hand man Jerome Valcke after he was accused of involvement in an accord to sell tickets for the 2014 World Cup at inflated prices.

Valcke strongly denied the allegations but FIFA handed over emails from the suspended secretary general that had been demanded by the Swiss attorney general.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

PFF 'surprised' by Blatter's resignation

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) on Wednesday said it was "surprised" by Sepp Blatter's decision to resign from his post as FIFA president, but nevertheless said it was "a courageous decision."

The 79-year-old Blatter, just four days after being re-elected to a fifth term as FIFA president, announced on Tuesday that he would step down, in the wake of a corruption investigation that has rocked the organization.

"We are surprised by the decision of FIFA president Joseph Blatter to lay down his mandate," the PFF said in a statement. "We believe he made a courageous decision in the greater interest of the sport of football."

"We thank him for his spirited efforts for meaningful football development programs in all FIFA member associations," the PFF added.

Blatter visited the Philippines in November 30, 2014, and spearheaded the groundbreaking ceremony of the FIFA Goal Project III at the San Lazaro Leisure and Business Park in Carmona, Cavite.

The PFF said it now joins "all football stakeholders in moving forward."

"The situation offers a big opportunity to continue and intensify the reforms that have been started. Indeed, deliberate focus on more governance reform and transparency is now called for," it added.

Blatter, who has been FIFA president since 1998, is also being investigated by U.S. prosecutors and the FBI, but has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

His decision to step down was welcomed by the English FA and New Zealand FA, among other FIFA Member Associations.

"This has lifted a cloud and taken away a lot of the concerns of stakeholders and their association with the sport," New Zealand Football chief executive Andy Martin told Reuters. "We now want a strong, collaborative leader who can bring the football world together and can bring out the change that the game has been crying out for."

The Asian Football Confederation, a staunch ally of Blatter, said on Wednesday that it was monitoring the situation and would discuss internally the "best way forward for both FIFA and world football." -- With Reuters

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com