May 18 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino cut a quite different figure at today’s AFC Congress where he appeared (virtually) alongside the AFC president and General Secretary looking more relaxed, comfortable and confident than he has in his previous confederation congress outings over the last month.
His address to Asia’s national associations was shorn of much if his trademark doubletalk and habitual over justification of Qatar’s human rights record. His sincerity was on a manageable level, and without any of the recent tendency towards making the kind of global social gaffe that has clouded more recent appearances.
Who was this version of Gianni Infantino?
Doubtless much of it was to do with the knowledge that he had Asia won. AFC president Shaikh Salman had already assured him of their support and he had no need to press his case.
There was no identification of friends or supporters in the audience – always a divisive move and they were virtual in any case – and there were no launches into big ‘new’ old ideas like biennial World Cups or grand promises of newly identified immense wealth for all.
It was all uncharacteristically ‘real’ and manageable for the FIFA watchers. Infantino kept it to Asia and about Asia.
He was of course “honoured and humbled to be in front of you, for your support, for your trust, for your commitment to continue working together. This means a lot.”
It certainly does, not least the guaranteeing of another term as FIFA’s president.
But this was an Infantino clearly comfortable on a continent where, in his own words, he has “very tight ties… a continent I cherish and love”.
“My commitment is to continue working with you as a team player to make football truly global…to make sure football develops in all parts of the world and in particular in Asia.”
Confident the Qatar will be the “very beast World Cup ever”, he emphasised that working with Shaikh Salman – “he is my teammate and I am his teammate” – he said the “continuity will bring greater things for Asian football”.
Of course with the men’s World Cup in Qatar this year and the women’s World Cup jointly hosted in Australia and New Zealand next, focus will be on Asia in a way that it has not been since the Japan/Korea co-hosting of the 2002 World Cup.
Part of FIFA’s legacy in the region looks likely to be the financial support for a building of an AFC stadium in Malaysia and Infantino referenced this saying the “possibility of building an AFC stadium in Kuala Lumpur is a great project and a legacy for Asian football and something we will support. It is exactly in the spirit of what we want.”
And on Qatar 2022: “We all hope of course an Asian team will win the World Cup in Qatar. I said the same to the Europeans, the Africans, the South Americans, I had to, I am FIFA president.”
It was a good line. This version of Gianni is threatening to be likeable.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1714165526labto1714165526ofdlr1714165526owedi1714165526sni@n1714165526osloh1714165526cin.l1714165526uap1714165526