January 29 – Former Argentinean president Mauricio Macri has a landed a new job. He will head the FIFA Foundation, an organisation founded by the world federation to promote social change.
FIFA announced Macri as the executive chairman of the foundation yesterday. The foundation has the ambitious aim of raising up to $1 billion from investors for educational programmes.
Macri has long enjoyed ties with football, having served as president of Buenos Aires giants Boca Juniors for decades. He used the presidency as a springboard to carve out a career in national politics, first as Buenos Aires City mayor and later as president of the country. He served a four-year term, but lost the national elections three months ago.
Macri said in a FIFA statement that football could help “address complex issues, such as violence, drug abuse and obesity.”
“Education is a tool that can level the playing field in terms of opportunities, and it can, hand in hand with football, help to build bridges and contribute to global progress,” said Marci.
In December 2018, Macri had invited FIFA President Gianni Infantino to speak at the G20 gathering of world leaders in the Argentine capital. Last June, in Zurich, Macri became the first person to receive FIFA’s ‘Living Football Award’ handed out by FIFA’s supremo.
In his new role, Macri will work along with Youri Djorkaeff, the foundation’s CEO and a 1998 World-Cup winner.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at moc.l1714038339labto1714038339ofdlr1714038339owedi1714038339sni@o1714038339fni1714038339