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As political and military tensions surrounding World Cup host countries rise, FIFA president Gianni Infantino remains the only figure publicly defining football's position...
There are things for which Gianni Infantino has very little responsibility. He is not responsible for the fact that in one of the World Cup host countries there is a fear that it could be annexed by another host country. He is not responsible for the fact that in the main host country there are people living in fear of armed deportations. Nor is he responsible for the United States' attack on Iran, a development that, even without him, would have made the situation around the World Cup quite chaotic, although that does not seem to bother Donald Trump.
The situation has become even more complicated: the host country of the World Cup is at war with one of the participating countries in Group G. Meanwhile, the regime of this participating country has bombed the territories of the countries from Group B (Qatar) and Group H (Saudi Arabia). This is the atmosphere in which what has been billed as the biggest, best and most inclusive World Cup ever is expected to take place.
Football people are not responsible for the image that the world and the host country are giving, just three months before the tournament starts. However, they must make a decision about how they will stand in the face of this reality. They must decide how football will position itself in the face of this image and what image football itself will give.
Gianni Infantino, the president of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), seems to have made this decision a long time ago. He has become so close to Donald Trump that he seems to move at the same pace as him. If the impression is not wrong, Infantino seems to enjoy this situation.
A solid relationship with the president of the host country may be necessary to organize such a tournament. But it is not necessary to accompany him on trips abroad, introduce footballers to the office, invent awards for him or publicly praise him like a young fan admiring his favorite striker.
That's the picture the FIFA president paints today, some three months before the first World Cup kicks off. He steers his "ship" through a turbulent world toward a tournament that could be just as chaotic, a red USA hat pulled low over his eyes and clearly pleased with where he is.
It is reasonable to assume that he will "offer" this World Cup to Donald Trump, regardless of what may happen in the coming months. Infantino seems determined to stand by the American president, whom he has even praised as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.
And as long as no one opposes, protests, or stands in opposition to the way Infantino runs FIFA, this will remain the image that football is giving before the World Cup and that it may give during the tournament itself.
There are people who could change this picture if they spoke out publicly. Among them are the heads of national federations, such as the German Football Association. But as long as they remain silent, Gianni Infantino continues to paint this controversial image all by himself – and others allow him to do so. /Adapted from FAZ /
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