By Andrew Warshaw
May 31 – Gianni Infantino, under increasing pressure to boost his personal reputation after a series of early presidential faux pas, has stepped up his policy of sweeping out the old guard at FIFA and bringing in his own senior staff.
With governance watchdog Domenico Scala and financial chief Markus Kattner, both of whom had been scrutinising his modus operandi, out of the way, FIFA has hired former Croatian captain Zvonimir Boban as one of its two new deputy secretary generals.
The other role has been handed to key Infantino aide and former legal director Marco Villiger who, according to unconfirmed reports, was responsible for engineering the controversial 11th-hour rule change put to FIFA’s recent congress in Mexico that seriously undermined the reform process by authorising independent judicial officials to be hired and fired.
The two new appointments were announced by FIFA’s new secretary general Fatma Samoura, ostensibly to redeem FIFA’s tainted image.
Boban, who made 51 appearances for Croatia and captained the side which finished third at the 1998 World Cup, their best-ever performance, retired from the game in 2002. He will take charge of football affairs, heading the revamped development and competitions department as FIFA splits its administration into business and sporting divisions.
Villiger will handle commercial and administrative matters, with both officials responsible to Samoura who will start on June 20 as the organisation’s first woman secretary general.
The promotion of Villiger is in stark contrast with the sacking of Kattner whose dismissal over alleged “uncovered breaches of his fiduciary responsibilities in connection with his employment contact” has not been fully explained by FIFA.
Soumara announced her two deputies during her first official visit to FIFA headquarters in Zurich when she addressed employees for the first time since her surprise appointment earlier this month.
The event was not open to the media, although FIFA said the Senegalese, who previously had a long career with the United Nations but has no experience in football administration, delivered an “inspiring” speech.
She apparently told staff: “To achieve our goals, we have decided to introduce an improved structure that will make FIFA more efficient and fit to its purpose of developing football everywhere.
“FIFA’s administration will be split into two dedicated pillars: one designed to generate financial returns and operating the administrative work that comes along with it, and another one focused on developing football and organising the competitions.”
“It is my goal to keep on putting the reforms into action and to help FIFA in its process of being recognised as an institution that is run under the principles of good governance, and one of which people may be proud.
“I cannot think of a more exciting job than this and I am happy to embark in this journey of bringing an inclusive agenda to FIFA and developing football for all. I want to help making FIFA a place where it is good to live.”
The appointments of Boban and Villiger follow that of former Norwegian FA general secretary Kjetil Siem as FIFA’s director of strategy to oversee reform, another key position in the new Infantino regime.
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