What would we find if we were able to explore Gianni Infantino’s luxury three-bed penthouse in the Swiss tax haven of Zug?
Among the art investments, the navy suits, and the polishing cloths for that shiny dome, one could be confident of finding a well-thumbed copy of The Art of the Deal – Donald Trump’s infamous ghostwritten manifesto – lying on the bedside table.
Is it only a coincidence that these two arch narcissists both enjoyed their first taste of the top job in 2016? Or did Infantino seize on the shamelessness of Trump’s campaign at that early stage, and instantly plump for an orange role model?
The high-handedness, the cronyism, the contempt for procedure – all these characteristics are shared by the unholy pair. There is only one plausible explanation: that Infantino has made a conscious decision to follow the Trump playbook.
Sepp Blatter, Infantino’s predecessor, might have been venal and grotesque. But he never had the nerve to demand a police motorcade for security, as was requested for Infantino during Fifa’s annual congress in Vancouver in April. (The local authorities refused on the grounds that such honours are reserved for visiting heads of states.)
Blatter also took more care to safeguard Fifa’s public image, which is how he managed to keep his snout in the trough for fully 17 years as president. Infantino has overseen blatantly unethical decisions without even blushing. Take the special treatment handed out to Cristiano Ronaldo in November, when his red-card ban was suspended to let him play at the World Cup.
Like Trump, Infantino is drawn to autocratic regimes. His first two World Cups as president came in Russia – where he accepted an Order of Friendship from Vladimir Putin – and Qatar and, although those tournaments were allocated under Blatter’s watch, Infantino has played a key role in taking the 2034 event to Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, he maintains an absurd over-confidence in his ability to transform global geopolitics, as witnessed by his failed attempt to make the Israeli and Palestinian delegates shake hands in Vancouver. Remind you of anyone?
Of course, the one regime that Infantino sucks up to most fervently is that of Trump himself. Hence the cancellation of the red card awarded to Folarin Balogun, the US’ best player, allowing him to play in the round-of-16 match against Belgium. Hence the presentation of the inaugural Fifa Peace Prize to a noted warmonger at December’s opening ceremony. And hence the selection of Joshua Kushner – Ivanka Trump’s brother-in-law – as the proposed broker for the doomed World Cup sell-off.
As a smaller and less influential simulacrum of the primary villain, Infantino could be compared to Mike Myers’ Mini-Me from the Austin Powers movies. They even share the same hairstyle. But the past few days have revealed how far he lags behind his idol.
Trump makes a virtue of refusing to apologise, of counter-attacking when under pressure, and of eventually chiselling out a face-saving compromise even when things are looking bleak. Despite a grim set of (dis)approval ratings, which have plummeted since his latest escalation of the Iran War, you could still imagine him staging the same sort of miraculous escape that he produced to win back the presidency two years ago.
In Infantino’s case, however, the game is surely up. Perhaps he should have studied The Art of the Deal even more closely, because he finds himself an isolated figure with the vultures closing in. To move ahead so quickly with the World Cup privatisation plan, without having built up substantial support around the football world, shows that his arrogance outstrips even that of his mentor.
On Tuesday, Fifa’s spin doctors denied a New York Post report that Infantino had been desperately trying to call the White House in a late attempt to find someone – anyone – who would back the sell-off. But whether the calls actually happened or not is rather beside the point. Infantino’s recent actions have demonstrated that he is a Trump stooge. And they have carried him past the point of no return.
Within the next few days, his decade in the hot seat should end. At that point, we can all take a breath, and try to move on from our collective case of Infantino derangement syndrome.
– Daily Telegraph UK
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Source: New Zealand Herald
