New FIFA
president Gianni Infantino reacts after winning the FIFA presidential
election
during the extraordinary FIFA Congress in Zurich on February 26, 2016
(AFP
Photo/Fabrice Coffrini)
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Zurich
(AFP) - Gianni Infantino won FIFA's presidential election and vowed to lead the
scandal-tainted body into a new era as he faced immediate calls to ensure
genuine reform.
The
45-year-old UEFA general secretary scored a convincing victory in the battle to
replace the disgraced Sepp Blatter, whose 18-year reign ended with FIFA mired
in unprecedented crisis.
Infantino,
a Swiss-Italian, defeated Asian rival Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa in
the second round of the vote of 207 members.
Portrait of
Gianni Infantino, elected
new president of FIFA (AFP Photo)
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Blatter,
who many hold responsible for the culture of patronage and graft that plagued
FIFA, congratulated Infantino on his win.
"With
his experience, his capacities, his sense of strategy and diplomacy, he has all
the qualities to continue my work," Blatter said in a statement.
Second
round win
Infantino
got 115 votes in the election's second round while Asian Football Confederation
president Sheikh Salman, from Bahrain, got 88. They were just three votes apart
in the first round.
Five
candidates started the day in contention.
Prince Ali
bin al Hussein of Jordan and former FIFA official Jerome Champagne saw their
support fizzle after the first round, while South African tycoon Tokyo Sexwale
withdrew before polling opened.
Infantino
said he would have no trouble uniting world football after an election which
exposed divides between Europe, Infantino's power base, and voters in Asia and
Africa.
"Today
it was an election but not a war," the new FIFA supremo told reporters.
"In an election you win or lose and then life goes on."
Sheikh
Salman said he was looking forward to working with his campaign rival, and
called for "unity" while stressing that FIFA needed to be more
"inclusive and reflect the diversity of world football".
Infantino's
election was hailed by world figures such as Russia's President Vladimir Putin
and federation chiefs.
Putin,
whose country will host the 2018 World Cup, said Infantino comes into the post
with "high authority".
Pressure
to change
The
multilingual lawyer takes over leadership of the world's top sport with its
reputation at an all-time low.
A monitor
behind delegates displays the names of the FIFA presidential candidates
during
the extraordinary FIFA Congress in Zurich on February 26, 2016 (AFP
Photo/Olivier Morin)
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Blatter and
UEFA president Michel Platini have been banned from football for six years, US
prosecutors have charged 39 people over more than $200 million in football
business bribes and Swiss authorities are investigating FIFA's management and
the awarding of hosting rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Infantino,
who only entered the contest after Platini was ruled out, will also face
immediate financial problems.
Acting
secretary-general Markus Kattner said "general uncertainty" caused by
the crisis meant FIFA was $550 million (500 million euros) behind in its $5
billion budget target for 2015-2018.
The
shortfall could complicate Infantino's ability to deliver on a campaign pledge
of more than doubling the amount given back to national associations to over
$1.2 billion in total every four years.
Hours
before he was elected, FIFA members approved a reform package that aims to
limit the powers of the new president and to end the corruption that prevailed
under Blatter.
The
president will become more like a corporate chairman of the board, providing
strategic guidance but with less management authority.
FIFA's
member of Algeria (L) votes during the FIFA electoral congress on
February 26,
2016 in Zurich (AFP Photo/Olivier Morin)
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FIFA's
executive committee, which had become an epicentre of graft allegations, has
been rebranded as a FIFA council. It will operate like a corporate board of
directors.
Measures
such as declaring the salary of the new president to improve financial transparency
were also included.
But
sponsors gave a cool reaction to the measures.
"We
urge FIFA's new leadership to prioritise their implementation," major
backer Visa said of the reforms.
"As we
have said before, we believe it is in the best interests of FIFA, the fans,
sponsors and everyone involved, that there is long-term independent oversight
of the reforms."
Atlanta-based
FIFA backers Coca-Cola said in a statement that deeds, not words, regarding
accountability will be the critical factor in judging future support of
Infantino's FIFA.
"Under
Mr Infantino's leadership, FIFA must regenerate itself," it said.
End of an
era?
FIFA still
has doubters and considerable judicial troubles ahead, particularly from the US
investigation with trials that could start this year.
Blatter,
79, the big absentee at the congress, suffered a spectacular fall over the last
nine months.
He has
since been banned from football for six years for ethics breaches and could
face criminal charges.
Infantino
also faced questions over his UEFA ties to Platini, but offered thanks for the
French football legend's years of support.
He also
pledged to work "tirelessly" to drag the organisation out of one of
the darkest period's in its 112-year history.
"You
will be proud of FIFA," he said. "You will be proud of what FIFA will
do for football."
Related Article:
#UPDATE Gianni Infantino wins FIFA presidency https://t.co/0vSN84hsD8 #FIFAelection pic.twitter.com/GVHH0sn9QK— AFP news agency (@AFP) February 26, 2016
Related Article:
FIFA
President Sepp Blatter (L) shakes hands with UEFA president Michel
Platini
after being re-elected following a vote in Zurich on May 29, 2015 (AFP
Photo/Michael Buholzer)
|
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