Frenchman Michel Platini, former president of the European Football Association (UEFA), directed sharp criticism at Gianni Infantino, president of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), accusing him of violating the laws of the game and demanding his departure.
Platini told the French channel Canal Plus on Monday: “I think that Infantino failed because he is the guarantor of the laws of the game, and he did not respect them. Therefore, I think he must leave.”
His statements come in light of the pressure that Infantino is facing after the failure of his plan to sell shares of the World Cup rights to private investors, noting that he has been president of FIFA since 2016 and is seeking re-election next year.
Platini criticized several decisions during the last World Cup, considering that they violated the regulations, including the pauses for drinking water and the 30-minute break between the two halves of the final, in addition to the red card incident.
He also referred to the suspension of the expulsion penalty against US national team striker Florin Balogun, after US President Donald Trump intervened by phone with Infantino, allowing the player to participate in the next match, despite the ban on political interference in football affairs.
Platini and Infantino have a long history within UEFA, as Infantino served as Secretary-General during Platini’s presidency.
Platini was suspended in 2015 on the grounds that he received a financial payment from FIFA, which prevented him from running for the presidency of the International Federation, before Infantino came to the position in 2016.
Platini said: “I always knew that he loved money and power very much,” considering that football is now run by a small group, while he believes that its real stars are the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Zinedine Zidane and Diego Maradona.
In light of the legal action that UEFA is preparing to take against Infantino against the backdrop of the investor deal, Platini believed that his overthrow may take place through the judiciary, saying: “If the European Union wants to overthrow Infantino, I think that will happen through the judicial authorities.”
